An international rights watchdog expressed concerns on Monday over a "spate of morality prosecutions" of women in Egypt on charges of undermining family values via speaking out on social media or posting allegedly indecent videos
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2020) An international rights watchdog expressed concerns on Monday over a "spate of morality prosecutions" of women in Egypt on charges of undermining family values via speaking out on social media or posting allegedly indecent videos.
According to Human Rights Watchdog (HRW), Egyptian authorities launched an "abusive campaign" targeting female social media celebrities in April. At least 15 people, including women and men who aided them, have since been arrested over "indecent videos" shared on social media.
The watchdog asserts that in the majority of the posts "the women appear fully dressed, at times singing or dancing." One of the girls to be prosecuted, 17, was the one who spoke out about being beaten and raped.
"Arresting women and girls on very vague grounds simply for posting videos and photos of themselves on social media sites is discriminatory and directly violates their right to free expression. Policing women's peaceful conduct online smacks of a new effort to control women's use of public spaces," Rothna Begum, senior women's rights researcher at HRW, said.
The rights group expresses particular concerns over 17-year-old Aya, who was "detained pending investigation as a victim of sexual assault but also as a suspect in morality-related offenses for her videos." HRW demanded that the girl be released and receive care, recalling that detention of children is prohibited, except as a last resort.
Several female influencers and men who aided them have already been sentenced to 2-3 years in jail, according to the watchdog.
