The Egyptian Court of Cassation Upholds Menna Shalaby’s Sentence

The Egyptian Court of Cassation upheld a previous ruling on Thursday, 23 May sentencing actress Menna Shalaby to a one-year prison term, with the sentence suspended for three years, for drug possession.

According to Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, the final verdict also includes a fine of EGP 10,000 (USD 325). Shalaby was convicted of possessing cannabis for personal use.

The initial judgment was delivered in January of 2023, following the public prosecutor’s decision on 21 December 2022, to refer the prominent actress to criminal court.

Nearly a month before the referral, Cairo airport authorities discovered narcotics in Shalaby’s luggage upon her return from the United States. She was subsequently taken to the public prosecutor’s office, which released her on bail pending further investigation.

The case of the young actress has sparked significant debate on social media, with supporters and detractors voicing their opinions. This prompted Egypt’s Actors Syndicate to issue a statement urging the public to “respect the privacy of its members and refrain from slandering them.”

Shalaby, the actress at the center of the controversy, was previously nominated for an International Emmy Award for her role in the drama series Fe Kol Esboo’ Youm Gom’a (Every Week Has a Friday, 2020).

In 2019, Shalaby was honored with the Faten Hamama Excellence Award at the Cairo International Film Festival, recognizing her extensive career, which includes over 60 works spanning film, television, and radio.