Update: Okasha arrested for outstanding court orders, not libel, says MOI

The outspoken TV anchor Tawfiq Okasha was arrested on Friday and is reportedly being detained in the Nasr City police station. Okasha's lawyer, Khaled Sueliman, confirmed the arrest to local media outlets early Friday afternoon, but at the time said the charges filed against him were not clear.

The privately owned ONA News Agency reported that Okasha may have been arrested in light of recent critical comments posted on his Facebook account against Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar. Other media outlets reported that Okasha is being charged with libel and slander.

However, according to a statement posted to the official Interior Ministry webpage later in the day, Okasha was actually arrested pursuant to a host of final judicial verdicts and sentences levied against him.

These include a sentence of six months in prison and a fine of LE10,000 fine on seperate counts of libel and slander, as well as yet another sentence of two weeks in prison and LE100 bail for beating his ex-wife. 

Sueliman said that Okasha was arrested while leaving the Media Production City. The controversial right-wing TV anchor, who is the owner of the private satellite channel Al-Faraeen, had reportedly just finished recording his latest episode of the show "Masr al-Youm" (Egypt Today).

Al-Faraeen blacked-out its screen in protest against Okasha's arrest. The channel ran an accompanying notice reading: "The Ministry of Interior has arrested Dr. Tawfiq Okasha without any charges. He is being detained in the Nasr City First Police Station. Al-Faraeen personally holds the minister of interior accountable for the health of Okasaha, to whom medical assistance is being denied."

Suleiman said that he was still attempting to learn of the specific charges leveled against his client pending consultation with prosecutors.

Okasha has repeatedly run into trouble with the authorities. In 2012 he was taken off the air and faced charges of insulting then-President Mohamed Morsi. Earlier this year, he had announced the closure of Al-Faraeen due to debts of LE11 million.