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Egypt outrage over sexual assault case dismissal
Egyptians expressed outrage over the judiciary's decision to dismiss cases of sexual assault against female activists and journalists during a referendum on a key constitutional change. The journalists' syndicate, human rights groups and the pro-reform Kefaya movement, all denounced the move and called on the justice minister to intervene and appoint a judge to investigate the allegations.The assaults, some of which were caught on video, triggered an international outcry and cast a pall over an electoral reform touted by President Hosni Mubarak as a strong signal of reformist change. The footage showed presumed NDP thugs beating and sexual groping the women, but Attorney General Maher Abdul Wahid's office said there was "no basis for a criminal suit because the real culprit is anonymous." "The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights expresses deep anxiety over the decision" to dismiss the case, the organization said in a statement, which added that victims had even provided descriptions of their attackers. It also urged the justice minister to appoint a judge to investigate. The journalists' syndicate said that it was "surprised and shocked" by the decision to halt the probe and called a sit-in on Thursday to register its disapproval. Similar reactions came from Kefaya, which last year spearheaded several pro-reform demonstrations on the streets of Cairo. The women had accused the ruling National Democratic Party's supporters of sexually assaulting them during the May 25 referendum during which voters approved an amendment to Article 76 of the constitution. The change opened the way for multiple candidates to contest presidential polls for the first time. Posted by: ed 2006-01-04 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=138993 |