Egypt Defamation Laws: Criminal, Civil & Cyber

Defamation in Egypt is both a criminal offence and a civil wrong. The Penal Code criminalises defamation (qazf) and insult (sabb) chiefly in Articles 302 to 308, special provisions protect officials and state bodies, and online conduct is reached by the Cybercrime Law No. 175 of 2018 and the Media Regulation Law No. 180 of 2018.

What counts as defamation in Egypt

Egyptian law separates two reputation offences. Defamation, or qazf, under Article 302 of the Penal Code, is the public attribution to a person of a specific fact that, if true, would expose them to legal punishment or to the contempt of others. Insult, or sabb, under Article 306, covers attacks on a person's honour or dignity that do not include attributing a specific fact, including spoken or unwritten insults. Publicity is central, so the statement must reach others to be actionable. Article 308 increases the penalty where the defamatory statement accuses the person of a crime or touches on their official functions. Courts have generally held that even an opinion can be punishable if it crosses into an attack on honour.

Criminal defamation and penalties

Defamation and insult are criminal offences in Egypt. Article 303 of the Penal Code sets the core penalties for defamation, which are reported to include fines in the range of EGP 5,000 to 30,000 and imprisonment of up to two years, with the imprisonment term rising in aggravated cases. Article 306 sets a fine for insult, reported at no less than EGP 2,000 and no more than EGP 10,000. Article 308 raises the penalty, including the possibility of imprisonment, where the statement imputes a crime or attacks a person in connection with public duties. Separate articles impose heavier punishment for insulting the President, parliament, the army, the judiciary, public bodies, and officials. Press-freedom monitors have repeatedly documented the use of these provisions against journalists.

Watch out: Egypt has a separate, harsher tier of offences for insulting the state and its officials. Criticism aimed at the President, the army, the courts, or public bodies is treated far more seriously than defamation of a private individual.

Penalties at a glance

Defences

The defences to defamation in Egypt are narrow. Truth is only a limited defence, and Egyptian courts have generally held that a statement can be punishable even if true where it was made with malice or without a legitimate purpose, and the public-interest or good-faith justification is applied cautiously. Proving the truth of an allegation against a public official in connection with their duties is more likely to be accepted than truth asserted against a private person. There is no broad public-figure or actual-malice standard that protects critical reporting. Prior consent of the person concerned, and statements made in privileged settings such as court proceedings, may also reduce exposure.

Watch out: In Egypt, being right is not always a defence. Courts have generally held that a true statement made maliciously, or without a recognised legitimate purpose, can still amount to criminal defamation.

Remedies and damages

Defamation in Egypt is pursued both as a crime and as a civil wrong. On the criminal side, the Penal Code provides fines and, in aggravated cases, imprisonment. On the civil side, the injured person can claim compensation for the moral and material harm caused, often by joining a civil claim to the criminal case or by suing separately in the civil courts. There is no fixed statutory damages tariff for reputation, so any compensation is set by the court on the evidence. Courts and media regulators may also order corrections, the removal of content, or other measures, particularly in matters involving the press and online publication.

Limitation period

Defamation in Egypt is generally a complaint-based offence, so prosecution usually depends on the victim filing a complaint. Egyptian criminal procedure provides that no complaint may be accepted after the lapse of three months from the date the victim became aware of the crime and of the identity of the perpetrator. Missing that window can bar the criminal complaint. Any associated civil claim for compensation follows the separate civil limitation rules, which run for longer than the three-month criminal complaint period, so a claimant who is out of time for the criminal route may still be able to seek civil damages.

Online defamation

Defamation published online is reached both by the general Penal Code articles and by two 2018 statutes. The Cybercrime Law (Anti-Cyber and Information Technology Crimes Law No. 175 of 2018) extends liability to content on social media, blogs, forums, and news websites, and allows the blocking of websites in certain circumstances. The Media Regulation Law No. 180 of 2018 governs print and digital journalism and holds outlets, and in some cases popular social-media accounts, accountable for false statements that damage reputations. Human-rights and press-freedom organisations have documented the use of these laws against journalists and online commentators, and the framework makes Egypt one of the stricter jurisdictions in the region for online speech.

How a defamation claim is brought

A defamation case in Egypt usually begins with a complaint to the police or the Public Prosecution, which investigates and, if warranted, refers the case to the criminal court. The victim must generally file within the three-month complaint window. The injured person may attach a civil claim for compensation to the criminal case, or bring a separate civil action in the civil courts. Matters involving the press and online media may also engage the media regulator under the 2018 Media Regulation Law. Because criminal liability is central and the state-insult provisions are severe, many disputes are resolved through correction, apology, or settlement before final judgment.