The Economic Appellate Misdemeanor Court in Cairo convicted the Egyptian producer Bahaa El-Din Said Mohamed Hosni, owner of one of the audio production companies, in a case brought by Emirati artist Hussain Al Jassmi, following accusations of defamation and harassment through social media.
The court decided to annul the acquittal ruling issued by the first degree court, and re-convicted the defendant, imposing a fine of 20,000 Egyptian pounds, in addition to obligating him to pay the expenses and attorney fees, after confirming his commission of the crimes of defamation and misuse of social media.
The details of the case trace back to posts published by the producer on one of the pages of "Facebook," which included insulting phrases and claims regarding the song "I Love You" that Hussain Al Jassmi released in 2018, where he alleged that the melody of the song belonged to him.
The producer based his claims on a certificate attributed to the Egyptian Society of Authors and Composers to prove his ownership of the melody, which prompted Hussain Al Jassmi's legal team to file a formal complaint with the Public Prosecution, accusing him of defamation and misuse of social media.
During the investigations, the Egyptian Society of Authors and Composers issued an official statement confirming that the circulated certificate was not valid, while Al Jassmi's defense presented a technical report prepared by a committee of professors and music specialists, which confirmed that there was no similarity or resemblance between the melody of the song "I Love You" and the melody claimed by the producer as his own.
After the case was referred to the court, the first degree court issued a verdict of acquittal for the defendant, but the Public Prosecution appealed the decision, leading the Economic Appellate Misdemeanor Court to issue its new ruling to revoke the acquittal and convict the producer.