An Egyptian actress could face up to five years in prison after being charged with public obscenity for wearing a see-through dress which revealed the entirety of her legs.

Rania Youssef, who is aged in her 30s, had been attending the closing ceremony of a film festival in Cairo when she was pictured on Thursday in the black ensemble, which raised eyebrows.

The piece comprises of black leotard covered by a transparent overdress with criss-cross detailing and a large bow belt.

Youssef is set to stand trial on 12 January after a group of lawyers filed a complaint to the chief prosecutor.

She now faces up to five years in prison if she is convicted.


Egypt is a largely conservative country with a majority Muslim population. It has retained some of its secularism despite decades of growing religious conservatism.

In 2016, Egyptian author Ahmed Naji was handed a two-year prison sentence after being charged with obscenity for publishing a book with references to sex and drugs.

Prosecutors said he "violated public modesty" with his novel The Use Of Life but was soon released and his sentence was suspended following an appeal to a Cairo court.