Egypt suspends sentence of writer convicted of insulting religion

An Egyptian appeals court on Thursday reduced and suspended the prison sentence of author Fatima Naoot who was convicted on charges of insulting religion, a judicial official said.

Naoot had been sentenced to three years in jail in January after she criticised the slaughter of cattle and sheep for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, describing it in a Facebook post as the "greatest massacre committed by human beings".

She had left the country and returned last month as she appealed the ruling.

Naoot told AFP she intended to also appeal against Thursday's ruling, a suspended six-month sentence.

"We will appeal it to have a final acquittal," she said.

"It is a clear signal that Egypt supports freedom of belief and expression," she added.

The controversial "contempt of religion" crime has been an intense topic of debate among freedom advocates, who demand the abolishment of the charge, claiming it is being used to oppress freedom of speech.

TV host Islam al-Behery was released from prison earlier this month by a presidential pardon after serving one year in prison - reduced from a five-year sentence - also for contempt of religion.

Behery, an Islamic studies researcher, was charged and convicted for questioning in his TV show the credibility of some sources of Prophet Muhammad's Hadith ["sayings"], a prime reference for Islamic teachings after the Quran.

According to article 98F of the Egyptian Penal Code, anyone who uses religion to promote extreme ideas - whether in writing or by any other means - for the purpose of inciting strife, "insulting a heavenly religion", or damaging national unity will be sentenced to no fewer than six months and up to five years in prison.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has assigned al-Azhar to fight what he has deemed to be faulty Islamic teachings and extremism.

The task comes as part of Egypt's nation-wide crackdown on Islamists following the ousting of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.