Yacoubian Building author Alaa al-Aswany sued by Egyptian state for 'insulting Sisi'

Aswany, who lives in the US, said the lawsuit was connected to his last novel The Republic, As If and columns he had written in Deutsche Welle Arabic.

On his Facebook page, Aswany said the case against him is a "clear violation of article 65 of the Egyptian constitution, which states, 'Freedom of thought and opinion is guaranteed. All individuals have the right to express their opinion through speech, writing, imagery, or any other means of expression and publication'".

He said he faces a military trial "because of his writings and opinions".

A military official told the AP that when prosecutors decided to press charges they would "make a statement".

Aswany, writing in his latest DW column, said that he was banned from appearing on Egyptian television and writing for local newspapers after Sisi came to power in a 2013 coup.

He was also subjected to a smear campaign and faced harassment when travelling, including being detained at Cairo airport.

Aswany is one of Egypt's most celebrated literary figures, with his acclaimed 2002 novel, The Yacoubian Building, selling more than a million copies in 35 languages.

The Republic As, If is banned in Egypt but was published in Beirut in 2018.