ALBAWABA—Mortada Mansour, the former president of the Zamalek Club, has publicly said that he plans to prosecute Egyptian comic Ramez Galal when Ramadan concludes, alleging that Galal committed "detainment crimes" via his contentious prank program "Ramez Elon Masr."
Mansour said that Galal's presentation involved illegal imprisonment in a video that went viral on social media, citing a statute that requires people to report crimes. Mansour claims that the prank format, which involves visitors being physically confined to a hospital bed by their hands and feet, violates their right to personal freedom.
Celebrities are tricked into thinking they are serving as judges on a fictitious talent competition named "Golden Talent" by the hoax program, which is now broadcast during the Ramadan season. Ramez Galal, musician Nawal El Zoghbi, Saudi football icon Mohamed Noor, and TV anchor Basant Shams, who serves as the program's presenter, are on the panel of judges.
When the visitor is asked to test a purported medical innovation—an AI-powered robot that can do a complete medical scan in 10 minutes—the joke becomes more intense. Mansour's allegations of wrongful detention stem from the fact that the visitor is confined throughout this staged rally.
Stars from the entertainment and sports industries, like Fifi Abdo, Ahmed Fahmy, Mohamed Ragab, Nour El Nabawy, Ahmed El Awady, Hossam Habib, Zeina, and others, are among the high-profile guests on the program.
Galal's prank programs are well-known for their shock value and large audience, but this most recent one has rekindled discussion about the moral and legal limits of Egyptian television entertainment.
