Egyptian actress is charged with public obscenity after appearing at a film festival in Cairo wearing a see-through dress that showed off her legs

An Egyptian actress has been charged with public obscenity and could face jail after appearing on the red carpet wearing a see-through dress that showed off her legs.

Rania Youssef attended the closing ceremony of a film festival in Cairo on Thursday wearing a black leotard with a transparent over-dress embellished with a sequined criss-cross pattern and a bow belt. 

Youssef, who is in her 30s, is set to stand trial on January 12 following a complaint by a group of lawyers to the chief prosecutor.

The actress could five up to five years in prison if she is convicted..

Egypt, which has a population of 100 million, is a conservative country with a Muslim majority.

The Arab country has retained some secularism despite decades of growing religious conservatism. 

This comes after an Egyptian novelist was convicted on charge of obscenity in 2016 for referencing sex and drugs in his book.

He was sentenced to two years in prison, sparking outrage amongst human rights activists.

He was soon released after 120 prominent writers and artists, including Woody Allen, signed a letter demanding his release. His sentence was suspended following an appeal to a Cairo court.