Egypt’s prosecutor-general has canceled a “lashing” verdict that was issued by a Minya prosecutor against a man who was accused of alcohol consumption and drug possession. 

The Matay village prosecutor on Sunday sentenced a 30-year-old man to 80 lashes for drunkenness by virtue of Quranic verses and not according to the provisions of law.

“The prosecutor-general also referred the Minya prosecutor to the Judicial Investigations Authority to question him over the legal basis for his order,” said a prosecution spokesperson.

The prosecution's spokesman explained that there should be no punishment without a pre-existing law.

“Although Sharia (Islamic law) is the main source of legislation, there is no legal text for lashing, which makes the lashing-decision incorrect in legal terms.”