Egyptian actress Yasmin Abdel Aziz announced her intention to take all necessary legal action against those spreading fabricated and defamatory images of her that recently circulated on social media platforms. In her statement, she affirmed that she will not tolerate this campaign, which she described as "systematic," aimed at tarnishing her reputation and damaging her successful artistic career.

Legal escalation and a strongly worded warning

In an angry post on her official Facebook page, Yasmine Abdel Aziz addressed a direct message to those behind the campaign, saying: “The campaigns have begun… Fine, we’ll file a lawsuit and the cybercrime unit will find out who’s behind these campaigns and the defamation of my image in this way.” This statement reflects her seriousness in dealing with the situation, as she didn’t stop at verbal threats but explicitly announced her intention to resort to the relevant authorities, specifically the cybercrime unit, which is responsible for investigating cybercrimes in Egypt, thus giving her action significant legal weight.

Suspicious timing linked to artistic success

Yasmine Abdel Aziz linked the timing of the spread of these fabricated images to the release of the promotional trailer for her new series, scheduled to air during Ramadan. She asked incredulously, "All this because the trailer for the series was released? What will you do when the series actually airs?" This connection suggests her belief that the campaign is not random, but rather an organized reaction aimed at negatively impacting her new project and distracting the public from its anticipated success, especially given the fierce competition among stars during the Ramadan drama season.

The phenomenon of targeting celebrities and legal protection

The case of Yasmine Abdel Aziz highlights a broader and more dangerous phenomenon: the targeting of public figures and celebrities with online smear campaigns using forgery and fabrication techniques. These incidents are no longer isolated but have become a recurring pattern faced by artists in the Arab world, causing them significant psychological and professional damage. In this context, Egyptian law provides protection for victims. Article 25 of the Cybercrime Law No. 175 of 2018 criminalizes attacks on any of the principles or values ​​of the Egyptian family and violations of privacy, which applies to such cases.

A final message and public support

The artist concluded her post by addressing those behind the campaign, saying, “To whoever created these pages and posts, I have only one thing to say… May God suffice me, and He is the best disposer of affairs.” Her action received widespread support from her fans and colleagues in the art world, who condemned this method of settling scores and demanded that those involved be held accountable to put an end to these unethical practices that pollute the digital space.

The Cairo judicial system is witnessing rapid developments in the case of the fabricated video attributed to Lebanese artist Haifa Wehbe, a case that represents a significant turning point in the fight against modern digital crimes. In this context, the artist's legal advisor, lawyer Sherif Hafez, revealed that crucial documents have been submitted to the Economic and Money Laundering Prosecution Office as part of the pursuit of the network of individuals responsible for producing and distributing this offensive content.

During a hearing held on Wednesday, Hafez presented a detailed technical report prepared by a consulting firm specializing in digital technologies and information security. The report definitively confirmed that the circulated videos were not authentic, but rather the product of a sophisticated deepfake operation. This operation employed advanced artificial intelligence software and complex computational algorithms to superimpose the artist's face and voice onto unrelated video content, with the deliberate intent to defame and slander her.

General context: Deepfakes as a weapon of defamation

This case comes amid a worrying global spread of deepfake technology, which has become more widely available in recent years. Once the preserve of specialists, modern applications and software have made it easy for non-experts to create deceptively realistic fake videos. This technology is frequently exploited to target public figures and celebrities, especially women, in systematic smear campaigns aimed at damaging their reputations, blackmailing them, and negatively impacting their careers and personal lives, making it a form of digital violence.

The importance and expected impact of the issue

This case is particularly significant as it is one of the first high-profile cases in the Arab region to directly address artificial intelligence crimes. The legal proceedings are expected to set an important precedent in Egypt and the Middle East, contributing to shaping future legislation to combat this type of crime. The authorities' success in tracking down the perpetrators and bringing them to justice will send a strong deterrent message to anyone contemplating using technology to harm others.

Internationally, these efforts align with the global trend toward regulating the use of artificial intelligence and demanding that major social media platforms, such as Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram (mentioned in the original report), assume their responsibilities in monitoring content and removing fabricated material that violates individual privacy and threatens social harmony. The Economic Prosecution Office has instructed the relevant technical authorities to examine all electronic links that disseminated the fabricated content, trace their sources, and identify the servers that hosted them, in a serious step toward dismantling the network responsible for this cybercrime.