In Egypt, women’s rights activists are facing a new threat following the arrest of witnesses and activists campaigning for several accused rapists to be prosecuted. People knowledgeable on the situation stated that authorities detained six people in the past few days, including those who offered evidence on a gang-rape accusation in which a group of young men allegedly assaulted and raped a young woman in a Cairo hotel in 2014.
Those detained by Egyptian security forces have faced threats of charges ranging from drug use to incitement, to debauchery. Debauchery is commonly used by the Egyptian government to discredit witnesses and crackdown on the country’s LGBTQ community. Egyptian authorities stated that three of the people detained were still in custody, while the other three were released on bail earlier this week. Activists have stated that the recent arrests will likely stir fear in the women’s rights advocate community and hinder campaigns against sexual assault in the country.
Read More: Women’s Rights Activists Face Fresh Threat in Egypt After Arrests