Egypt's prosecution releases on bail woman filmed assaulting police officer

El-Sayed Gamal El-Din , Zeinab El-Gundy , Monday 31 Aug 2020

General Prosecution
General Prosecution HQ

Cairo prosecution has set an EGP 2,000 bail for the release of the woman who assaulted a police officer in a courthouse on Monday. A video of the incident has gone viral.

"The prosecutor-general ordered an investigation into the incident that went viral on social media of a woman assaulting an on-duty police officer at a courthouse," the prosecution's statement read.

The officer said during the investigation that he saw the defendant using her mobile phone to film court employees on duty and that upon notifying her to stop filming, she assaulted him verbally and physically, the statement continued.

The prosecution said the woman, arrested on site, works at the Administrative Prosecution.

“The defendant denied the charges, including forcibly resisting arrest and verbally assaulting an officer on duty. She said she went to the courthouse to file a complaint about losing a sum of money from her bank account and that the police officer started a verbal skirmish with her and took her mobile phone by force which led her to defend herself as shown in the clip,” the statement added.

The prosecution stated it decided to release the woman on an EGP 2,000 bail after enquiring from her place of work that she is suffering from psychological conditions, adding that investigations are ongoing.

The clip that went viral earlier on Monday, reportedly filmed at a Heliopolis courthouse, showed an angry woman insulting and cursing a police officer wearing a face mask before assaulting him and taking off his rank insignia when he took her mobile phone.

In the video, the woman said she works as a prosecutor at the Administrative Prosecution and the United Nations.

Another clip went viral on Monday afternoon showing the woman resisting arrest.

The Administrative Prosecution said on Monday it is investigating the incident involving its member Noha Al-Emam, the woman in the video.

The United Nations office in Egypt issued a statement regarding the incident and Al-Emam's claims that she is affiliated to the international body.

“The United Nations family in Egypt and all its employees affirm their full commitment to the laws of the Arab Republic of Egypt and their respect for all Egyptian State Agencies and all its employees performing their duties,” the UN statement said.

The UN office added it also rejects any violation conducted under its name and stressed that under the Charter of the UN, there are no privileges or immunities that exempt its employees from observing the laws and police regulations in the host country.

“The United Nations also reminds everyone of the need to follow the current precautionary measures that help in limiting the spread of coronavirus according to the instructions of the Egyptian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation, including wearing masks in public places to preserve public health."

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