Bahaa Hosni's acquittal overturned; economic court fines him 20,000 pounds in Hussein Al Jasmi defamation case

An Egyptian appeals court has overturned a prior acquittal, sentencing producer Bahaa Hosni to a fine of 20,000 Egyptian pounds. The ruling addresses charges of insulting, harassing, and misusing social media against Emirati singer Hussein Al Jasmi.

The case stems from a complaint filed by Al Jasmi's legal counsel, Mohamed Othman. The complaint accused Hosni of defamation, harassment, and exploiting social media platforms. It was supported by documentary and technical evidence. Initially, a lower court acquitted Hosni, but the prosecution appealed the decision.

According to Othman's complaint, Al Jasmi discovered posts on a Facebook page containing offensive remarks and claims that the melody of one of his songs had been stolen. These claims were reportedly backed by a document attributed to the Authors and Composers Society.

However, the Authors and Composers Society issued an official statement denouncing the circulated certificate as forged. Furthermore, a technical report from music professors concluded that there was no similarity between the melody of Al Jasmi's 2018 song "I Love You" and the melody Hosni claimed was identical. The appeals court's decision is seen as upholding the importance of technical and legal evidence in cases of defamation and misuse of social media.

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The ruling issued by the Court of Misdemeanors Appeals emphasizes the judiciary's respect for technical and legal evidence, and confirms that the use of social media for defamation, abuse, or blackmail exposes perpetrators to legal accountability.