Egyptian lawyer Nabih al-Wahsh will face trial over misogynistic statements he made on a TV show in October, Al Ahram reported.
Cairo's prosecution referred the lawyer to the State Security Misdemeanor Court on Sunday "on charges of disrupting civil peace and harming public interest by inciting sexual harassment against women."
On Saturday, the country's Higher Council of Media also officially banned El-Wahsh from making TV and media appearances.
These developments come weeks after the lawyer stated that women who wear ripped jeans, specifically from the back, deserve to be sexually harassed and raped.
During an appearance on the TV program Infirad, Wahsh also added that it is a "national duty" to rape women who wear such clothes as they are "inviting men to harass them."
"Girls must respect themselves so others respect them. Protecting morals is more important than protecting borders," Wahsh said, according to Al Arabiya.
The debate was aired by the satellite channel Al-Assema on Oct. 19 and focused on Egypt's draft law fighting prostitution and debauchery.
The offensive statements sparked outrage on social media
People are certainly relieved over the latest news
"One of the best decisions ever."
"Strict punishment must be applied to people like him"
"He deserves a jail sentence"
Sexual harassment is a major issue in Egypt
Sexual harassment is a long-standing issue that continues to affect women across Egypt.
What al-Wahsh alluded to in his statements actually reflects a problematic yet common rhetoric that sees people blaming victims of sexual harassment instead of supporting their fight against it.
According to a 2013 report released by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, 99.3% of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment.
96.5% of these women experienced physical sexual harassment whereas 95.5% said they experienced verbal abuse.
"In 2014, changes to the Egyptian penal code criminalized sexual harassment and stipulated punishments for perpetrators, including jail sentences and fines," Al Ahram reported.
According to the local newspaper, "the law now punishes those who commit sexual assault with prison terms of three to seven years."