Egyptian authorities on Monday began investigating renowned journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, who is accused of insulting the military.
Attorney General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud on Sunday referred investigators to a complaint filed by 45 former Air Force officers, which accused Heikal of offending the army and diminishing its accomplishments in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.
In a story published on 13 May, state-run newspaper Al-Ahram quoted Heikal as saying there wasn't an air strike during the war and that what happened was no more than a show of force to raise the morale of the Egyptian army.
He said the air strike was used to give legitimacy to the regime of Hosni Mubarak, and that Israel had entered the war after being informed by a spy when the war would start.
The officers said they considered Heikal's statements offensive to members of the military who died during the war.
Judicial sources said military prosecution is examining the complaint, as well as Heikal’s statements, before summoning him.
Heikal was previously questioned over statements about Mubarak’s wealth, which he said was estimated at between US$9 billion and $11 billion.
Heikal is considered as one of the most prominent writers of the last five decades and was close to former president Gamal Abdel Nasser. He also had connections with former president Anwar Sadat.
