CAIRO: Following angry scenes in response to Egyptian comic Bassem Youssef’s return to TV, the satirist has finally revealed that he was totally unaware that poking fun at the new government was against the rules.

Having been off air since the arrest of former president Mohamed Morsi in early July, Youssef returned on Friday with a show that mocked the new pro-military fever gripping Egypt and took jabs at the country’s military chief General Sissi. But having been praised for his lampooning of Morsi, Youssef found his new direction heavily criticised by viewers, with numerous complaints and calls for mass rallies in front of the studio where the show is filmed.

“When Youssef was arrested for taking the piss out of Morsi, I was out on the streets campaigning for freedom of speech and calling for his release. But I never expected him to use this same free speech to then turn on our glorious and masterful leader General Sissi. It’s an absolute disgrace,” said Ahmed Flanders, founder of a Facebook group called ‘Sissi is hotter than Bieber’.

“It’s one thing knocking some idiot who came to power in free and fair elections, but it’s a totally different affair to mimic a supreme being like Sissi, who simply took it for himself with the promise that he will, at some point, give it back to the people,” said Barry El-Ahli, who sells official Sissi calendars and car stickers from a roadside stall in Alexandria.

But Youssef has now responded by claiming that he simply “didn’t realise” that satirising the other side wasn’t allowed.

“I apologise profusely for my terrible error,” the comic said in a statement. “From here on in, I shall ensure that all my free speech-enabled mockery is directed solely against those who stand against our great and omnipotent ruler, hallowed be his name.”

Youssef later admitted that ridiculing the daily activities of Mohamed Morsi again was “going to be a bit tricky” given that nobody had seen or heard from him since July.