Amal Fathy has been jailed for publicly criticising the treatment of women in Egypt, she is the second woman in a year to be jailed.
Egypt’s crackdown on any form of political dissent or criticism continues with the two-year jailing of actress and activist Amal Fathy for speaking out against sexual harassment in a Facebook video, Amnesty International reports.
Egypt has a bad record in relation to sexual harassment against women according to human rights organisations, media reports, and women in Egypt – both tourists and nationals – even Muslim women who wear the hijab or niqab (Muslim dress including a head covering and long robe).
Najia Bounaim, Amnesty International’s North Africa campaigns director, said Fathy’s case was another example of political repression in Egypt and the deteriorating situation for women in the country – an assertion backed by other human rights groups.
Fathy is the second woman in a year to be jailed for publicly criticising the treatment of women in the country. In June, Lebanese tourist Mona Al Mazbouh was arrested for posting an “abusive video” on Facebook in which she complained about being sexually harassed in Cairo.
Al Mazbouh was sentenced to eight years in prison for “spreading false rumours”, “attacking religion”, and “public indecency”.
Journalists, NGO workers, human rights activists, and any others that speak out have all been in the sights of the Egyptian authorities as they continue to arrest and jail critics.
-ANA
