Defamation Meaning in Arabic Under Egyptian Law

If you're trying to pin down the defamation meaning in Arabic — especially because you've been accused of it, or someone's been smearing you online — the word matters. Egyptian criminal law splits what English lumps into "defamation" into two distinct offences with different thresholds and penalties.

Quick answer

In Arabic, defamation is most commonly rendered as السبّ والقذف (al-sabb wa al-qadhf). The two words are not synonyms. القذف (qadhf) means publicly attributing a specific fact to someone that, if true, would expose them to criminal penalty or public contempt — closer to "libel/slander with a factual accusation." السبّ (sabb) means insult or vilification without attributing a specific fact — closer to "insult" or "abuse." Egyptian Penal Law No. 58 of 1937 criminalises both, in Articles 302–308. Which word applies to your situation changes the charge, the defences, and the sentence.

Qadhf (قذف) vs sabb (سبّ): why the Arabic distinction matters

Article 302 of the Penal Code defines qadhf as publicly imputing to another a specific matter that, if proven, would subject that person to legal punishment or to the contempt of their community.^[1] Think: accusing someone, by name, of theft, bribery, or adultery.

Article 306 defines sabb as any insult that doesn't contain the attribution of a specific fact. Calling someone a liar or a fool in public is sabb. Posting that your neighbour embezzled from his employer is qadhf.

The distinction isn't academic. For qadhf, truth can sometimes be a defence — but only in narrow cases, mainly when the accusation concerns a public official's conduct in office (Article 302, para. 2). For sabb, truth is irrelevant. An insult is an insult.

Honestly, most people get this wrong and use السبّ والقذف as a single compound phrase. Courts don't.

Penalties under the Penal Code

Base penalties sit in Articles 303 and 306:

• Qadhf (Art. 303): fine of EGP 5,000 to EGP 15,000, or imprisonment of up to 2 years, or both.^[1]
• Sabb (Art. 306): fine of EGP 2,500 to EGP 7,500, or imprisonment.
• Aggravated forms — qadhf against a public official in connection with their duties, or qadhf affecting someone's honour or that of their family — carry heavier penalties under Articles 303 and 308, including imprisonment up to 2 years and fines up to EGP 20,000.

Watch out: If the defamation happens through the press, broadcast media, or online platforms, Law No. 175 of 2018 on Combating Information Technology Crimes and Law No. 180 of 2018 on Press and Media Regulation stack additional penalties on top. Online qadhf can trigger fines reaching EGP 300,000 and imprisonment.^[2]

Online defamation: the Arabic terms that show up in cybercrime cases

In electronic contexts, you'll see السبّ والقذف الإلكتروني (electronic insult and defamation) in indictments. Law 175/2018 doesn't redefine the offence — it borrows the Penal Code definition and raises the ceiling because the medium amplifies the harm. Article 25 of Law 175/2018 criminalises content that violates "family values" or honour, which prosecutors routinely use alongside the Penal Code articles.^[2]

Facebook posts, tweets, WhatsApp group messages, TikTok videos — all have produced convictions. Public reach is the trigger. A private message between two people usually isn't qadhf because the "public" element of Article 171 (the publicity standard) isn't met. A post visible to your 3,000 followers is.

One quirk worth knowing: in Egyptian practice, screenshots alone are often challenged as evidence. Prosecutors typically request forensic reports from the Public Prosecution's cybercrime unit before indicting.

Who can file, and how long you have

Defamation in Egypt is generally a complaint-based offence (جريمة شكوى) — meaning the victim or their legal representative must file the complaint personally. Article 3 of the Criminal Procedure Code sets the complaint deadline at 3 months from the date the victim knew of the offence and the identity of the offender. Miss it and the case dies.

Complaints go to the Public Prosecution (النيابة العامة) at the prosecution office with territorial jurisdiction — usually where the publication occurred or where the victim resides. For online cases, that's increasingly interpreted as wherever the victim accessed the content.

A civil action for damages under Article 163 of the Civil Code can run in parallel or separately, and the limitation period there is longer (3 years from knowledge, 15 years from the act).

Common defences and how they land

• Truth (إثبات الصحة): available for qadhf only in the narrow public-official scenario of Article 302(2), and the defendant must prove the fact to the court's satisfaction. Not available for sabb.
• Good faith / absence of criminal intent: harder than it sounds. The Court of Cassation has held that intent is presumed from the publication itself in most cases.
• Reporting on judicial or parliamentary proceedings: Article 309 provides limited immunity for faithful, good-faith reporting.
• Settlement: because it's a complaint offence, the victim can withdraw the complaint at any stage before a final judgment, which ends the criminal case.

That last one matters. A lot of these cases settle quietly once lawyers get involved and a retraction or apology is on the table.

So what does "defamation meaning in Arabic" really translate to?

If a translator hands you "defamation = التشهير," push back. التشهير (tashheer) means public exposure or shaming and is used descriptively — it's not the Penal Code term. The statutory words are قذف and سبّ. Use tashheer in journalism; use qadhf and sabb in a complaint or a court filing.

For a working translation table:

• Defamation (general) → السبّ والقذف
• Libel / slander with factual accusation → قذف
• Insult without factual accusation → سبّ
• Public shaming (descriptive, non-statutory) → تشهير
• Slander of a public official → قذف في حق موظف عام

If you're preparing a complaint or responding to one, the exact Arabic word used in the محضر (police report) and the قرار الاتهام (indictment) determines which article you're defending against. Read it carefully.

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