Egypt court halts YouTube ban

Egypt's Administrative Court has halted an order it issued 9 February banning YouTube in the country for a month. The court accepted an appearl by the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) on the order. The Administrative Court had ordered that YouTube be blocked for a month in Egypt as the site refused to remove the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims. According to Al-Ahram Arabic news website, NTRA said that YouTube is registered in the US, which is therefore the only country that has the power to shut it down. It also added that the website's activity is regulated in several countries and it remains online. NTRA concluded that Egypt cannot control the website's activity beyond its borders. The lawsuit was filed in September by Egyptian attorney Hamed Salem as the film, that mocks Islam and the Prophet Mohamed, sparked anger across the Muslim world. In Egypt, hundreds were injured in protests while 70 people were killed in clashes in Libya, including US Ambassador Christopher Stevens. On 29 January, an Egyptian court slapped seven alleged makers of the film with death sentences and US Pastor Terry Jones a five-year jail term in absentia.