How Egyptian entertainment has changed under military rule

HESHAM ASHMAWY was executed twice. Egypt’s most wanted man, an army-officer-turned-jihadist, was hanged in March 2020, out of public view. Two months later, millions of Egyptians watched the “execution” of an actor playing him on “The Choice”, a television show about terrorism, produced by state intelligence. To promote the episode, the spy agency leaked videos of Mr Ashmawy’s real execution. “The Choice” (pictured) was among the most-watched programmes last year during Ramadan, high season for Egyptian TV.