Khaberni - In a new development regarding the accusations brought forth in the last few hours about the assault of the Egyptian actress Laila Elwi on a journalist and his filing of a report against her to the prosecution, the Alexandria Mediterranean Countries Film Festival issued an official statement denying the incident.
The festival described the publications against Laila Elwi as "false allegations aimed at tarnishing the image of the Egyptian artist and spoiling the festival atmosphere."
The festival administration expressed its appreciation for Laila Elwi's participation, who was chosen as the star of the 41st edition of the festival, praising her artistic and human presence, and her role as an icon of Egypt's soft power.
Details of the incident
The statement clarified that the actual incident involved an individual attempting to intrude into a private room after the end of a seminar by the artist, despite not having a media permit. The management dealt with the situation professionally to ensure the safety of the guests, without harming the intruder or taking any action against him.
The administration emphasized that Laila Elwi did not take any legal action to maintain a calm atmosphere, but warned against spreading rumors, asserting her right to legally pursue the promoters of false news.
Report
Journalist Reimon El Masry had filed an official complaint against the artist Laila Elwi, accusing her of physically assaulting him while he was covering the activities of the Alexandria Film Festival.
He explained that the incident occurred on the evening of last Friday during his filming of press interviews conducted by the actress, where she extended her hand and shoved him without any reason or warning, causing him to lose his balance, and forcefully took his mobile phone, handing it to one of her companions who tampered with it, deleting some of his personal and professional content, despite his identification as a journalist with a disability.
In his statements to the "24" website, El Masry said that the incident included him being forcefully pushed while filming, forcibly taking his phone, and being handled in a demeaning manner that disrupted his journalistic duties, noting that the incident occurred in front of a number of fellow journalists who witnessed the event.
He added that the actions of the accused match the concepts of bullying and assaulting journalists with disabilities according to the law, confirming his intention to take the necessary civil legal actions to protect his rights and professional tasks.
