‘Cartoon insult’ case is thrown out by judge
The lawyers had brought the case against Mr Sawiris, a prominent figure in Egypt’s Coptic Christian community, over a cartoon he posted online that they considered an insult to Islam.
Last June, Mr Sawiris, founder and chairman of the mobile phone operator Mobinil, tweeted a cartoon of Mickey Mouse with a long beard and Minnie Mouse veiled in black.
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Hide AdThe court, headed by Judge Ehab Yousry, dismissed the case against Mr Sawiris on the ground that it had been filed by individuals who “lack legal standing”.
Mr Sawiris’s company suffered a boycott by some customers when news of the cartoon spread, but Mr Sawiris said the impact had eased by October.
Mr Sawiris is a vocal critic of Islamist parties which have emerged in Egypt since president Hosni Mubarak was deposed in February last year. He is a co-founder of Free Egyptians, a liberal party advocating the separation of state and religion.