Egypt rights groups denounce TV anchorman over airing photos compromising elected lawmaker

CAIRO – Over a dozen Egyptian rights groups have rallied against an anchorman at a private TV station for airing compromising photos purporting to show a popular Egyptian movie director recently elected to parliament.

Thursday’s statement by 16 local groups claims the anchor, Ahmed Moussa, invaded the privacy of director Khaled Youssef, and demanded authorities investigate the case.

Moussa on Monday aired photos of a man resembling Youssef shown in bed with partly obscured but apparently naked woman. He then challenged the director to publicly announce whether it is him in the photos.

Youssef was elected in parliamentary elections held last month.

The case is the latest in a series of invasion of privacy incidents on television, including one by a show host who broadcast private telephone conversations, mostly by government critics.