Officially: Hossam Hassan banned from media appearances

A decision from the Supreme Council for Media Regulation

The Supreme Council for Media Regulation has banned Egypt national team head coach Hossam Hassan from appearing on any media outlet governed by Press and Media Regulation Law No. 180 of 2018, with the ruling taking effect immediately.

In an official statement, the council confirmed it had also summoned the legal representatives of several websites to hearing sessions for breaching the rules that protect and respect citizens' private lives. It warned of strict legal measures should those rules be broken again, or should any news tied to the matters raised in the statement be published and circulated once more.

The decision follows weeks of controversy surrounding Hassan. At its heart lie the disputes between the coach and his ex-wife, Dan Adam, the mutual accusations that have flown between them, and the wall-to-wall media coverage of their private lives. All of it pushed the council to step in over both the national team boss's media appearances and the circulation of news connected to the affair.

Respect for citizens' private lives must come first, the council stressed. It cautioned against any repeat publication or circulation of material relating to the matters in question, and vowed to take strict legal action if the ruling is violated or the rules governing media work are overstepped.