7/7/2025–|Last update: 19:26 (Mecca time)
In an incident that sparked widespread controversy in the artistic and media circles, the Egyptian media, Maha Al -Saghir, admitted her mistake after accusing her of seizing an artwork and attributing them to herself during her appearance as a guest on the program “With You Mona Al -Shazly”.
She made an public apology in which she said: “I made a mistake, I made a mistake in the right of the Danish artist Lisa, and in the right of all artists, and in the right of the pulpit that I spoke of, and most importantly, I failed in the right of myself … my traffic in the most difficult circumstances in my life does not justify what happened, I am sorry and upset from myself.”
For its part, the management of the program “With You Mona Al -Shazly” was remedied by issuing a statement on his official Facebook page, in which she confirmed that the painting is the subject of controversy belonging to the Danish artist Lisa Lash Nelson, and she said: “We respect the real creators, and appreciate their original creations in all fields.”
Plate
The crisis began at the beginning of last June, when Maha Al -Saghir – the media, the designer of the decoration and the character of the artist Ahmed El -Sakka – appeared as a guest on the program “With You Mona Al -Shazly” on “ON E” channel, as she talked during the meeting about her passion for plastic arts, noting that she practiced the hobby of drawing years ago, and she was shown on the screen an artistic painting that was said to be from her works, entitled “I made for myself Wings.
There were no days until the Danish artist Lisa Lash Nelson appeared, through her official account on Instagram, to explode a loud surprise: “The painting that appeared in the program is my artistic work that I drew in 2019, and was used on several occasions as a symbol of struggle for freedom … but Maha Al -Saghir attributed the work to itself, and the Egyptian TV did not mention my name, but ignored any reference to me.”
Accusations of technical theft and violation of rights
Nelson confirmed that Maha Al -Saghir was not only limited to the tradition of her artistic style, but also presented the image of her original painting and her lineage to herself on the air, which she considered a clear violation of the Bern International Convention for the Protection of Intellectual Property, in addition to the Egyptian law.
The Danish artist also revealed that she tried to communicate with Maha Al -Saghir and the channel producing the program, but she did not receive any response, so she decided to publish the story herself, adding: “I feel sorry, because unknown or internationally unknown artists, assaulted their rights without any consideration, just because they are outside the circle of fame.”
The Supreme Media Council intervened
In an official development, the Complaints Committee of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation in Egypt announced the summons of the legal representative of the “ON E” channel, to investigate the incident after it was found that the General Administration of the Council monitored the presentation of artistic works attributed to non -owners without verifying the original rights.
Tensions between Maha Al -Saghir and Ahmed El -Sakka
This crisis comes under unstable personal circumstances that Maha Al -Saghir lives after separating from her husband, the artist Ahmed El -Sakka, after a marriage that lasted more than 24 years. Their marriage resulted in 3 children: Yassin, Nadia, and Hamza.
The relationship between the two parties is witnessing tension, and it reached the police stations after a communication submitted by Maha against Ahmed El -Sakka accusing him of assaulting it and its driver, and the case is still under investigation.
The incident also showed the sensitivity of the local and international public towards the rights of creators, which confirms the need for clear mechanisms for correction and apology, not only from individuals, but also media institutions.
Despite Maha Al -Saghir publicly publicly recognizing the error and the apology of the program that hosted it, the legal and moral accountability remains, especially in light of the clarity of the incident and the publicity of transgression. According to the Egyptian law and the laws of international intellectual property protection, such as the Bern Agreement, artwork rates for another person without permission or an indication of the original source are an explicit violation that exposes the perpetrator to legal accountability, which may reach financial fines or compensation to the affected artist, and may include criminal procedures in cases of profit or deliberate repetition.
The return of the Ghada Wali case to the scene
Maha Al -Saghir’s crisis is back to mind a similar previous incident that sparked widespread controversy, her famous Egyptian designer Ghada Wali, who was accused in 2022 of seizing the work of the Russian artist Georgy Korasov, and using it in huge wall designs at the Girls College of Girls in Cairo, without his permission or indicating that he is the source.
At that time, Korasov published documented publications on his official accounts, accompanied by his original works in addition to the images of murals implemented in the metro, stressing that the Egyptian designs were carried out using his paintings without any amendment. The incident was shocked in artistic and cultural circles, and sharp discussions took place on design ethics and respect for the rights of artists, especially in public projects.
It is noteworthy that Ghada Wali did not make an official apology, which increased criticism. In front of the media and international pressure, the Ministry of Transport was forced to remove some designs later.