A man who urged Egyptian couples to marry before the government introduces a family law that will require them to pay into a fund is facing trial on charges that carry up to five years in prison, law officials said.
Prosecutors charged Yasser Qurish with maliciously spreading false news and with impersonating a maazoun, an official who presides over Muslim marriages and divorces, the attorney general's office said on Friday night.
“He published with ill intentions false news and rumours on his social media account in which he claimed that fees will be slapped on marrying couples under the draft of the family law,” it said. “This has, in turn, disturbed public peace and security and harmed the public interest.”
The statement did not give a date for the trial of Mr Qurish, who was arrested this week.
His social media post followed comments by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi last month on the draft family law that his government intends to send to parliament shortly.
Mr El Sisi said couples must contribute an as-yet-unspecified sum into a fund before they marry. The money will be used to support the children of couples who are divorcing but have yet to reach an agreement on child support.
Mr El Sisi said the sum of the contribution would not be large.
“Whoever can afford to marry should be able to pay,” he said.
“Don't people fight over the size of the wedding party and details of the furnishings?” he said.
The new law also changes the procedure for obtaining a marriage licence, with the medical tests of the couple for hereditary diseases to now be examined by a committee headed by a judge.
The requirement for a contribution from couples before marriage kicked off a storm of satire on social media and unleashed rumours about its size.
Mostafa Bakry, a staunchly pro-government talk show host, called on Egyptians this week not to pay heed to the rumours, some of which put the figure at 30,000 pounds (nearly $1,000).
He said the president's comments had led to couples rushing to marry before the new law takes effect to avoid paying the contribution.
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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MATCH INFO
Kolkata Knight Riders 245/6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 214/8 (20 ovs)
Kolkata won by 31 runs
Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world
New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.
The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.
“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.
"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."
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Sector: E-commerce
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Investment stage: Pre-seed
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COMPANY PROFILE
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Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
