Eqyptian lawyer jailed for saying it's a 'national duty' to rape women wearing ripped jeans

An Egyptian lawyer has been sentenced to three years in prison following controversial comments about women.

Nabih al-Wahshis sparked a global outcry by saying raping women who wear revealing clothing like ripped jeans is a "national duty" during a live TV debate in October this year.

The BBC reports that Wahsh, a prominent conservative, has also been fined 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($AUD 1,487).

He made the remarks during a debate on a draft law on prostitution.

"Are you happy when you see a girl walking down the street with half of her behind showing?", he said.

"I say that when a girl walks about like that, it is a patriotic duty to sexually harass her and a national duty to rape her."

"Girls must respect themselves so others respect them", he added.

His comments were immediately condemned on social media and by women's groups. 

Egypt’s National Council for Women said that the lawyer was in violation of "everything in the Egyptian constitution."

"All the members of the council denounce and decry this statement that explicitly promotes rape and sexual harassment", they said in a statement.

Many believed the highly conservative lawyer should not have been given a platform to air such inflammatory views.

He has previously argued against women becoming judges saying she may issue a fatwa (or ruling on Islamic law) "while she is menstruating".

"Why don't we just got to Hell?", he said at the time.

In 2016, Wahsh was involved in a TV studio fight when a cleric suggested women should not necessarily have to wear a headscarf.

Cairo was last month named the most dangerous mega-city in the world to be a woman by an international poll.