Families of the victims of the 2005 Beni Mazar massacre in Minya have filed formal legal complaints against the makers of a dramatic series, arguing that the program’s portrayal of the killings, use of real names, and incorporation of witchcraft references have revived trauma and endangered community stability.
Legal Actions and Complaints Against the Series Makers
Relatives of those killed in the December 2005 massacre in Ezbet Shams El-Din have taken their grievances to the Supreme Council for Media Regulation and the Public Prosecutor. The three-episode dramatic account, titled What Was Untold About Beni Mazar and broadcast within the series The Full Story on MBC Egypt and the Shahid platform, prompted swift pushback from the community.
Lawyer Fatma El-Shahawy lodged an urgent complaint with the Public Prosecutor in Beni Mazar on behalf of local residents, naming key figures behind the production. The filing targets actor Khaled El-Sawy, director Ahmed Nader Galal, producer Magdy El-Hawary, and screenwriter Hany Sarhan.
Grief, Fear, and Disputed Details from the 2005 Tragedy
The original crime unfolded in the early hours of December 29, 2005, when ten individuals from three adjacent families were found dead across three houses in the Minya governorate village. While courts eventually acquitted the sole defendant originally accused by authorities, the real perpetrator was never conclusively identified.
Families argue that the television dramatization distorts facts and introduces damaging fabrications. Amal Sayed Mahmoud, who lost four family members in the attack, stated that the program depicts fictionalized elements such as witchcraft and pigeon slaughter that never occurred, while utilizing the actual names of child and adult victims.
“Our children cannot sleep out of fear, and my daughters ask me to lock the bathroom door so he won’t kill us.”
Amal Sayed Mahmoud, massacre survivor and relative of victims, via Masrawy
For more than two decades, local relatives have contended with the emotional weight of the unresolved killings, holding onto the belief that justice will eventually be served.
Cast and Crew Defend Artistic Choices Against Viewer Criticism
Makers of the project defended their artistic approach by explaining that the format deliberately examines historical cases where official investigations left open questions. Producer Magdy El-Hawary noted that the Beni Mazar case presented a major hurdle because the sole suspect was acquitted and the true killer remained unknown, requiring a dramatic structure to explore plausible motives without claiming absolute judicial truth.
Actor Ahmed Abdel Wahab, who portrays investigating officer Akram El-Ezzaby, addressed viewer critiques regarding his performance and appearance, explaining that the three narrative strands served as a symbolic representation of various theories surrounding the murders, including rumors of witchcraft. He also noted that his character’s portrayal aimed to reflect the harsh weather and physical exhaustion typical of police work in the region during that period.
Despite these explanations, community members maintain that the broadcast threatens local harmony. Residents and legal representatives warn that reopening old wounds risks reviving feuds and social tensions between grieving households and relatives of the previously accused individual, prompting formal demands for the regulatory council to halt the series under Press and Media Regulation Law No. 180 of 2018.
