A famous Egyptian singer cracked a joke about the Nile River. She’s facing trial.

So apparently, at least in the eyes of the Egyptian government, the river, more than 4,000 miles long, is not to be taken lightly. Joking publicly about it could even land you in court.

A famous Egyptian singer, Sherine Abdel-Wahab, is facing charges for incitement and “harming the public interest” after she was captured on video cracking a joke about the Nile River during one of her concerts, the Associated Press and Egyptian news outlets reported.

While the singer was onstage, a fan asked her to sing one of her hit songs, which translates to, “Have you ever drunk from the Nile?”

The singer responded by saying no, drinking from the Nile can cause schistosomiasis, a water-borne infection caused by parasitic worms and commonly known as bilharzia. After decades of trying to fight the parasite, the Egyptian government last year launched a multimillion dollar project aimed at eradicating it once and for all.

“Drink Evian, it’s better,” she joked.

A video of the exchange, which Abdel-Wahab says took place in the United Arab Emirates more than a year ago, went viral on Egyptian social media networks Tuesday. And on Wednesday, judicial officials said the singer will be forced to stand trial in December for her comments.

A lawyer, Hany Gad, filed a lawsuit against Abdel-Wahab in a misdemeanor court, saying her sarcastic comment was an insult to the Egyptian government. The lawyer cited a section of Egypt’s penal code that says those who broadcast sensational propaganda disturb public security and harm the public interest, Egyptian news outletsreported.

Gad accused the singer of mocking the government at a time when it is attempting to revive Egypt’s tourism industry.

The Egyptian Musicians Syndicate has also announced it is prohibiting Abdel-Wahab from performing in the country, due to her “unjustified mockery of our dear Egypt,” the Egypt Independent reported. The agency is also telling TV and radio employees nationwide not to broadcast songs by the chart-topping artist, who appeared as a judge on the Arabic version of “The Voice.”

Abdel-Wahab responded to the controversy with a lengthy apology on Facebook, calling the remarks “a foolish joke.”

When she watched the video, she said, “I watched it as if this was happening in front of me for the first time.”

“I don’t remember saying that, because of course I don’t mean it — this is not what I mean to say about my country,” she wrote. “God knows how much I love this country and am dedicated to it … I promise to be more wary in the future of any naive mistakes that could put me in such a regretful position.”

“My beloved Egypt and its children: I apologize from all my heart for any pain I may have caused you,” she added. “It was a bad joke that I would never use if I go back in time.”

The Egyptian Musicians Syndicate holds far-reaching legal powers in the country, as Ayman Helmy explained in Mada Masr. Board members have the right to issue warrants for crimes related to its “artistic syndicates law,” conduct searches and arrests, accept complaints from civilians and send information directly to prosecutors.

“In reality, the syndicate can ban singers from singing for any reason considered valid by the syndicate head,” Helmy wrote. In the past, the syndicate has banned performers for insulting musicians, dancing provocatively and wearing revealing costumes. Last year it tried to shut down a metal concert in Cairo, accusing the musicians of being “devil worshipers.”

The government has also launched a crackdown on criticism of the government, sending thousands to jail, as the AP pointed out.

It’s also a particularly bad time to tell a joke about the Nile River. An upstream dam currently under construction in Ethiopia has left the Egyptian government worried about its future water supply.