Egypt's Sports law punishes inciting hatred, discrimination by prison, fine

Egypt Today

03-04-2025

Borg el-Arab Stadium in Alexandria, Egypt - CC via wikimedia commons
CAIRO - 3 April 2025: In Egypt, sports law has taken a firm stance against actions that incite hatred, violence, or discrimination within the realm of sports.
The law stipulates punishments that include both fines and potential prison sentences for those who incite hatred, aiming to foster a safer and more respectful environment for athletes, fans, and the broader community.
As tensions in sports can sometimes spill over into harmful rhetoric, these measures serve as a clear deterrent against the spread of divisive sentiments.
Egypt's Sports Law stipulates that, without prejudice to any more severe penalty stipulated in the Penal Code or any other law, the crimes stipulated in the following articles shall be punished by the penalties prescribed therein.
"Anyone who insults, slanders, or humiliates, by word, shout, or gesture, a natural or legal person, or incites hatred or racial discrimination by any means, whether openly or publicly, during or on the occasion of a sports activity, shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than one year and a fine of no less than 1,000 Egyptian pounds and no more than 3,000 Egyptian pounds, or by either of these two penalties."
The law also stipulates that:
"The penalty shall be doubled if the aforementioned acts are committed against an entity or body involved in securing a sports activity or one of its employees. Anyone who enters or attempts to enter a sports activity venue without the right to do so shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than six months and a fine of no less than 500 Egyptian pounds and no more than 3,000 Egyptian pounds, or by either of these two penalties. The penalty shall be doubled if violence or threats are used to achieve this purpose."