Press watchdog IPI called Monday for the acquittal of an Egyptian journalist accused of insulting a minister, as it stressed the need for freedom of opinion ahead of elections next year.

“We are deeply concerned that this case will go before a criminal court, and hope that the judge will acquit Hamdi Qandeel of this crime,” International Press Institute (IPI) spokesman Anthony Mills said in a statement.

Hamdi Qandeel, a prominent opposition journalist, is accused of “insulting and libelling a public servant or citizen performing their work,” following comments he made about Egypt’s foreign minister, a judicial source said in Cairo.

In the independent daily Shorouk, Qandeel likened Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit’s statements to “a perforated rubbish bag that leaks refuse.” He could now face prison or a fine if found guilty.

“Journalists should not have to operate in the shadow of criminal defamation laws, especially those explicitly protecting public servants, whose activities fall within the public interest,” the Mills said.

“Particularly in a pre-election period it is crucial that Egyptians have free access to a diversity of opinions and news,” he added.

Egypt is due to hold presidential elections next year.

Many restrictions on the independent press in Egypt have been lifted in the past decade, but media rights activists say they still face censorship and spurious libel suits.