Egyptian actress Amal Fathy is jailed for two years for ‘spreading fake news’ after posting Facebook video detailing her claims of being sexually harassed in a Cairo bank
- Actress Amal Fathy jailed for two years in Egypt for publishing ‘fake news’
- She posted on Facebook sharing her experience of being sexually harassed
- Ms Fathy was arrested in a raid on her home after publishing the video in May
- She was sentenced at Cairo’s Maadi Misdemeanor Court to a year in prison
A woman has been sentenced in Egypt to two years in prison for allegedly spreading fake news after she posted a video on Facebook about sexual harassment in the country.
Actress Amal Fathy was jailed amid President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi giving his country’s police and judiciary scope to crackdown on women’s activist groups.
The clamp down on women who complain of sexual assault and harassment in the country is part of a broader government attempt to to thwart dissident voices in Egypt.
Actress Amal Fathy was jailed amid President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi giving his country’s police and judiciary scope to crackdown on women’s activist groups
Ms Fathy was arrested in a raid on her home this May after publishing a video on her personal Facebook page where she talked about her experience of sexual harassment in a bank in Cairo
Ms Fathy was arrested in a raid on her home this May after publishing a video on her personal Facebook page where she talked about her experience of sexual harassment in a bank in Cairo.
She was sentenced at Cairo’s Maadi Misdemeanor Court to a year in prison on a charge of publishing what it called ‘fake news’ with intent of toppling the regime.
Ms Fathy was given a second year in prison for possession of ‘indecent material,’ relating the video itself while also being fine 10,000 Egyptian pounds (some £430).
‘To me, this is a clearance toward harassers that they can freely harass women,’ said Mohamed Lotfy, Ms. Fathy’s husband.
She was sentenced at Cairo’s Maadi Misdemeanor Court to a year in prison on a charge of publishing what it called ‘fake news’ with intent of toppling the regime
‘The message to women or victims of harassment is, ‘Shut up your mouth or we will jail you,’ said Mr. Lotfy, who works as a human rights defender, speaking outside the courthouse.
Ms Fathy is expected to appeal her sentence.
A second woman, a Lebanese tourist named Mona Mazbouh, was arrested in June after she spoke out against sexual harassment during a visit to Egypt.
She was initially sentenced to eight years in prison in July on charges of spreading rumors that could ‘undermine society’ and defaming religion.
She was freed after that sentence was overturned earlier in September.
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