Egyptian TV anchor gets jail term for ‘inciting’ child abduction

Show producers, editors also booked for 'inciting kidnapping of two children to prepare an episode of the programme'

An Egyptian court has ordered the detention of a TV host over alleged incitement in a child abduction case.

Reham Saeed will be detained for four days pending investigations, along with her programme’s producers and editors, on charges of "inciting the kidnapping of two children to prepare an episode of the programme", Arab News reported.

The authorities concerned had barred Saeed from hosting the show a few weeks ago after a controversial episode on child kidnapping landed her in hot water.

According to details, a producer of the show got in touch with a criminal gang involved in kidnapping children. Pretending to be a customer, she allegedly offered to buy ‘two children for 300,000 Egyptian pounds’.



The suspect claimed that she informed the authority about time and location where the children were going to be exchanged for money.

Police raided the location, arrested the kidnappers and freed the children accordingly.

The abductors, however, later accused the Sabaya El-Khair show team for inciting them to abduct the children in return for money.

The host was reportedly charged for “assistance and incitement to kidnap children; broadcasting false news that could disturb social peace; and the trafficking of children”.



Saeed has pleaded not guilty, denying knowledge of the ‘child abduction’ process for the show. She not only denied the allegations, but said that her programme had been ‘aiding the children of Egypt’ and would never take part in a kidnapping.

Controversy is nothing new for Saeed as she was previously suspended in 2016 for hosting a sexual harassment victim on air and allegedly blaming her ‘inappropriate clothing’ for the assault.

This report originally appeared on Arab News