Egypt media tycoon Mohamed El-Amin dies in prison

Egyptian media tycoon Mohamed Al-Amin has died of cancer yesterday while serving a three-year jail sentence for human trafficking and sexual misconduct.

Journalist Mustafa Bakri announced the 62-year-old’s death on Twitter, saying he had been transferred to Al-Salam International Hospital in Cairo a few months ago from Wadi El-Natrun Prison, where he was serving his sentence.

Last year, the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood filed a formal complaint against Al-Amin accusing him of sexually assaulting more than a dozen girls at an orphanage he owned in Beni Suef province, 150 kilometres south of Cairo.

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Authorities arrested Al-Amin in January and his trial began in March. He was handed a three-year term on charges of human trafficking.

Al-Amin was one of Egypt’s most prominent media moguls, owning and managing 14 satellite channels including CBC, An-Nahar and Modern, along with three newspapers.

His media group played a prominent role in inciting against the late elected President, Mohamed Morsi, until the military coup toppled him in July 2013.

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