Director Omar Zahran acquitted in the Shalimar Sharbatly case

The South Giza Public Prosecution announced on Sunday its final decision regarding the complaint filed by visual artist Shalimar Sharbatly against director Omar Zahran , accusing him of breach of trust. The prosecution decided to close the investigation into the case, which included a demand to return a 12 million Egyptian pound promissory note issued by her husband, director Khaled Youssef .

Report background and receipt details The details of the incident date back to January of this year, when Sharbatly filed an official complaint, registered under No. 19 of 2025. She explained in her testimony that the receipt in dispute was issued in October 2019 by Khaled Youssef in her favor as a means of securing their daughter's future, following his departure from the country at that time.

According to Sharbatly, the receipt was given to Omar Zahran temporarily, with the intention of returning it later, but he kept it unlawfully and did not abide by the agreement.

Actress Sharbatly was later surprised to find that the same receipt was used in Omar Zahran's defense documents in a separate case she had filed against him, accusing him of stealing her jewelry valued at approximately $2.5 million . She considered this behavior a breach of trust and an illegal use of a document supposedly entrusted to a trustee.

The prosecution hears all parties. Over the past few months, the Public Prosecution conducted extensive investigations into the report, hearing testimony from all parties involved, including Sherbatly and her husband, Khaled Youssef. It also examined documents and records exchanged between the two parties, and reviewed the legal aspects related to the use of the promissory note in this context.

This case is part of a series of legal disputes between the three parties, including allegations of breach of trust and theft of property, which have attracted widespread media and public attention, particularly due to the prominent figures in the arts and culture community implicated in the disputes.

The Public Prosecution justified its decision to close the investigation into the complaint by stating that it had not found direct evidence confirming the commission of the crime of breach of trust, as alleged by the complainant, taking into account the nature of the personal relationship between the parties and the complexity of the facts. The prosecution noted the need to separate personal relationships from criminal facts, and that rulings in such cases are based on clear legal evidence rather than personal assumptions.

Other cases are still pending before the judiciary. Despite the closure of this case, several other cases remain open, including a ruling issued by the Giza Misdemeanor Appeals Court , which reduced Omar Zahran's sentence in the jewelry theft case to one year of hard labor instead of two, due to his health conditions and advanced age.