Newspapers in Italy are reporting Friday that Sharif el-Anain, a 45-year-old Italian-Egyptian adult film actor, was arrested in Egypt earlier in the month under unclear circumstances. Speculation suggests that the Nov. 9 arrest might be tied to the harsh penalties imposed by the Cairo regime for the distribution of pornographic content.
El-Anain's current whereabouts and condition remain unknown, fueling concerns in light of Egypt’s troubling history of allegations of inmate abuse and torture, with prisoners often enduring inhumane conditions.
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“My son, who was born in Egypt but became an Italian citizen in 2016, had traveled to Cairo with me to sell an apartment we own,” el-Anain's mother explained in a statement reported by La Stampa. “But as soon as he landed, on November 9, he was arrested. He hasn’t done anything wrong. We’re desperately hoping the Foreign Ministry won’t abandon us. We’re terrified he’ll be tortured.”
Cruel conditions
El-Anain's Italian lawyer, Antonio Russo, spoke in a video interview with local newspaper Corriere dell’Umbria, describing the "inhumane" conditions his client has endured. He said that el-Anain was stopped at passport control, initially held for several hours at the local police station before being transferred in handcuffs to a Cairo prison.
“He was held for days in cruel conditions," Russo said. "The cell was overcrowded, with only one cot available between all inmates. He was forced to stand for days, forbidden to sit, and even denied sleep He was only allowed to lie on the cot for half an hour each day.”
Legal cooperation with Egypt on such matters has historically been fraught with difficulties.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that the Italian Embassy in Cairo is closely following the case. A report in Rome daily La Repubblica said that Egyptian authorities had reassured the Italian Foreign Office that el-Anain was alive and in good health, but no additional details were provided.
Italian officials are now seeking to arrange a jail visit by the consul, possibly accompanied by el-Anain's mother, to assess his condition firsthand. However, this is a challenging task, as legal cooperation with Egypt on such matters has historically been fraught with difficulties.
Death of Giulio Regeni
El-Anain's ordeal has drawn comparisons in Italy to past high-profile cases where the Egyptian authorities have been accused of human rights violations against Italian citizens. The first is Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old Italian researcher studying labor rights in Egypt, who died in Egyptian police custody in 2016 after allegedly being tortured. That was followed by the case of Patrick Zaki, an Egyptian human rights researcher and former postgraduate student in Italy who was arrested in 2020 upon returning to Egypt.
His arrest underscores Egypt's strict enforcement of public morality rules under President el-Sisi.
Zaki was charged with spreading fake news and inciting violence, largely due to a 2019 article highlighting challenges faced by Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority. After spending 22 months in detention, Zaki was released in 2021 but has continued to face legal troubles.
Enforcing strict morality rules
El-Anain, who has has lived for years in the city of Terni in the central region of Umbria, worked in the adult film industry under the name "Sheri Taliani," meaning "the Italian" in Egyptian slang. He first gained attention on social media for his bold declarations of pride about his profession, sharing his desire to "become the most famous adult film actor in the world". Known for his athletic physique, he displayed his passion for sports and fitness on Good Morning Egypt back in 2016, showcasing acrobatic stunts.
His arrest underscores Egypt's strict enforcement of its penal codes concerning public morality under the regime of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
The arrest also highlights how dual nationals in Egypt are not shielded by their foreign citizenship.
Egyptian media reported that Cairo has justified the detention, asserting that el-Anain's Egyptian citizenship subjects him to domestic laws, irrespective of his residency abroad. The Egyptian Penal Code includes broad provisions covering incitement to disorder and the publication or distribution of materials "against public morals."
While the specific charges against el-Anain remain unclear, these legal frameworks are often used to suppress dissent, regulate morality and reinforce the state’s conservative values. The arrest also highlights how dual nationals in Egypt are not shielded by their foreign citizenship, recalling the multiple arrests of Alaa Abdelfattah, a prominent Egyptian-British activist during the 2011 revolution.