Dozens of activists march in solidarity with Samira Ibrahim (Photo: Lina El-Wardani)
Dozens of activists gathered Friday outside the Supreme Court to support Samira Ibrahim in protest of the recent military court verdict that found innocent Ahmad El-Mougy, the military doctor who reportedly performed virginity tests on female activists last March.
Activists chanted against military courts and called for an independent judicial system. Banners read “No to military trials”, “Down with the military regime”, and “Social justice for all Egyptians”.
The protest came in response to a call by the Egyptian Women’s Union not to celebrate Egyptian Women's on 16 March, holding a protest against the "virginity tests" and other SCAF human rights violations instead.
It was these violations that brought Heba Kamal, 29, to the protest today. She said, "I support Samira Ibrahim and all of the 9 March activists. What happened was a human rights violation that goes beyond the idea of honour. It shouldn't go unnoticed." Kamal had not necessarily expected a verdict of jail but she was outraged by his being declared innocent.
For her part Rasha Abdel-Rahman, another activist who was arrested along with Samira Ibrahim and dozens of activists holding a sit-in against the Ahmed Shafik government, declared that she will file a case against SCAF as she too was subjected to a virginity test and tortured at the Egyptian museum and the military detention centre at the Haikstep military camp.
"I will file the case in support of Samira Ibrahim, she is not a liar. We were tortured and violated and there are many witnesses but the judges rejected our demands to bring them to court."
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