An Egyptian prosecutor has been suspended after he ordered that a man who was drunk in public be flogged 80 times, in accordance with the principles of the Koran.
A spokesman for the prosecutor general’s office, Mahmoud el-Hefnawi, said the decision against the drunk man had been overturned, too, The Associated Press reported.
The prosecutor — Hussein Anani — reportedly cited verses from the Koran while handing down his ruling against the drunk man, AP reported. Police officers who arrested the man for public drunkenness were surprised, AP said. They refused to carry out the order.
Public drunkenness is a crime in Egypt, but flogging is not listed as part of the punishment. The country’s penal code says public intoxication carries penalties that range from fines to three months in jail. And one human rights attorney told AP that only judges — not prosecutors — can issue punishments to lawbreakers.
Mr. Anani faces an investigation from judicial authorities, too, AP reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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