Jail for Tahrir assailants
July 16, 2014
The Egyptian court jailed the five on Wednesday for sexually harassing and attacking women during celebrations for the inauguration of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in June.
Another defendant was sentenced to 40 years in jail and another to 20 years. The charges included attempted rape, attempted murder and torture.
The court deliberated in total over four different incidents of sexual assault.
Three other men were sentenced to life in jail for attacking a woman in 2013 as she celebrated the second anniversary of the 2011 revolt that toppled autocratic president Hosni Mubarak.
Reaction to criticism
The verdicts follow criticism that Egyptian authorities had done little to tackle widespread harassment, particularly during public gatherings prompted by pro-democracy Arab Spring uprisings in 2011.
Sexual assault has long been a problem in Egypt and became more evident in recent years as mobs targeted women taking part at political gatherings.
President Sissi had ordered his interior minister to tackle harassment after the incident during his inauguration in June and spoke highly of women and their importance to society.
A public outcry was prompted by a graphic video that showed a naked woman with injuries being dragged through a large crowd towards an ambulance.
Further victims then came forward.
Sexual assault common
Sexual assault was rampant at demonstrations during and after the 2011 uprising.
In 2012, Human Rights Watch said it had documented dozens of harassment incidents on Tahrir Square within just a few days.
Before stepping down as Egypt's interim president in June, Adly Mansour decreed sexual harassment a punishable crime.
His decree amended the country's pre-existing laws, which did not criminalize sexual harassment.
ipj/dr (Reuters, AP, AFP)