Investigations into the complaint filed by attorney Mohamed Othman on behalf of Mahmoud El Khatib, president of Al Ahly Club, revealed details of media presenter Medhat Shalaby’s statements regarding the allegations against him.
The case is registered under No. 7136 of 2025 and concerns comments Shalaby made during an episode of his sports program broadcast on September 23, 2025.
The Supreme Council for Media Regulation previously announced that it had received a complaint from El Khatib against Shalaby over the episode and referred it to its Complaints Committee for review.
Shalaby Says the Information He Presented Was Accurate
During questioning, Shalaby maintained that the information he presented during the episode was accurate.
Regarding the issue of El Khatib’s US visa ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Shalaby said he had obtained information from a person named “Islam,” whom he described as being involved in handling visa procedures for the delegation traveling to the United States.
Shalaby said he had spoken with the person, who allegedly told him that El Khatib had applied for a US visa and that the application had been rejected for administrative reasons.
He explained that this information formed part of the basis for his comments during the program.
Shalaby Discusses El Khatib’s Decision Not to Travel
Shalaby also addressed his comments about El Khatib’s decision not to travel to the United States, saying that he discussed the matter in the context of public interest surrounding the Al Ahly president.
According to his statements in the investigation, Shalaby referred to El Khatib’s announcement that he would not travel for health reasons and later pointed to his appearance at several public events.
Shalaby said his intention was not to insult El Khatib, but rather to calm the sports atmosphere and avoid what he described as unnecessarily stirring the emotions of fans.
Shalaby Denies Intentionally Insulting El Khatib
When questioned about whether he had attributed acts to El Khatib that, if true, could have resulted in legal punishment, Shalaby denied that this was his intention.
He also rejected the suggestion that his statements were intended to create a belief among viewers that El Khatib had committed acts warranting punishment or causing him to be held in contempt.
Shalaby said he had spoken about El Khatib with respect, describing him as a major figure and a great football player, and said he had given him the opportunity to respond to any information he believed was inaccurate.
Shalaby Denies Previous Disputes With El Khatib
During questioning, Shalaby was asked about El Khatib’s claim that disagreements between the two men had existed since 2018 and whether those alleged disputes indicated an intention to harm El Khatib.
Shalaby denied this, saying there was no evidence supporting such a claim and that his work as a sports presenter was not based on targeting particular individuals or organizations.
He was also questioned about a previous 2018 misdemeanor case involving allegations of insult and defamation. Shalaby said he did not remember the incident referred to during the questioning.
Shalaby Identifies Source of Visa Information
Shalaby said during the investigation that he had an audio recording on a messaging application involving the person he identified as “Islam.”
He described Islam as the person responsible for processing visas for the delegation that traveled to the United States for the Club World Cup.
Shalaby said he did not know the man’s full name or workplace, but knew that he handled visa procedures. He maintained that his information about the alleged administrative rejection of the visa came from that conversation.
Shalaby Denies Defamation Allegation
Toward the end of the investigation, Shalaby was confronted with the allegation that he had publicly defamed El Khatib during an episode of his program, based on the findings of a technical examination of the broadcast.
Shalaby denied the allegation and maintained that the accusation did not reflect what had happened.
The statements form part of the investigation into the complaint. The case later saw further judicial developments, including its referral from the October Misdemeanor Court to the Economic Court over jurisdiction.
What is the case number involving Medhat Shalaby and Mahmoud El Khatib?
The case is registered under No. 7136 of 2025.
What is Medhat Shalaby’s position on the defamation allegation?
He denied the allegation and said he did not intend to insult Mahmoud El Khatib.
What was Shalaby’s source for the US visa information?
He said he received the information from a person named “Islam,” who handled visa procedures for the delegation.
Did Shalaby acknowledge having a previous dispute with El Khatib?
No. He denied having previous disputes and rejected claims that he had a deliberate intention to harm El Khatib.
What is the latest development in the case?
The case was referred from the October Misdemeanor Court to the Economic Court to determine jurisdiction.
