Egyptian YouTubers could face jail time for 'blackface' prank on daughter

Zeinab can be seen laughing as her frightened daughter cries and screams at her mother’s unfamiliar face. (screengrab)
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Updated 17 September 2020
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Egyptian YouTubers could face jail time for 'blackface' prank on daughter

CAIRO: Egyptian YouTubers Ahmad Hassan and his wife Zeinab could face a possible jail term, according to a child expert, after a prank video showed them scaring their infant daughter and laughing as she cried. 

Dr. Sahar Al-Sunbati, undersecretary of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood in Egypt, the incident of Zeinab's intimidation of her daughter was monitored by the council.

Al-Sunbati was quoted on TV channel Saad El-Balad saying that a report was submitted to the Public Prosecutor's Office over the incident and that the couple could face a jail term for their act. 

The couple filmed their daughter’s reaction to seeing her mother Zeinab after she had applied brown paint to her face to prank her child. 

Zeinab can be seen laughing as her frightened daughter cries and screams at her mother’s unfamiliar face.  

The video was met with outrage and people accused the parents of mistreating and exploiting their child for fame on social media.

Some users called on authorities to save the innocent child from her parents.

The couple have a YouTube channel where they share videos of their daily life and has five million subscribes.

Applying black and brown face paint - known as "blackface" - is considered a symbol of racism given its historic associations with negative portrayals of African-Americans.


Tunisian journalist Chatha BelHajj Mubarak freed after sentence cut

Updated 14 January 2026
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Tunisian journalist Chatha BelHajj Mubarak freed after sentence cut

  • The court cut her sentence from five years to two, ‌making her eligible for ‌immediate release, ‌her ⁠brother ​told ‌Reuters

TUNIS: A Tunisian appeal court on Wednesday ordered the release of journalist Chatha ​BelHajj Mubarak, jailed since 2023 in a conspiracy case, after reducing her prison sentence, her family said.
The court cut her sentence from five years to two, ‌making her eligible for ‌immediate release, ‌her ⁠brother ​told ‌Reuters.
She was convicted in the so-called “Instalingo” case, which involved politicians, media figures and other defendants accused of conspiracy and financial crimes. BelHajj Mubarak denied the charges.
“Chatha ⁠is free and leaving prison,” ‌her brother, Amen BelHajj Mubarak, ‍said.
He said ‍her health had severely ‍deteriorated during her time in prison. She suffered serious complications, including significant hearing loss, and was diagnosed ​with cancer in detention, he added.
Tunisian authorities have said the ⁠case stems from judicial investigations into alleged financial and security-related offenses, and have rejected accusations by opposition groups that the prosecutions were politically motivated.
Tunisian prosecutors are pursuing a number of high-profile conspiracy cases involving politicians, journalists and activists. Several opposition ‌leaders have received lengthy prison terms.