A Cairo criminal court set on Saturday 19 January to start the trial of seven defendants charged with organ trafficking in the Ain Shams district.

The prosecution has charged the defendants with manipulating a number of Egyptians into selling their organs and exploiting their financial difficulties. 

The issue made news after the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood reported to the prosecution a case in which the kidney of a child had been illegally removed.

In a separate case in July, a Cairo criminal court sentenced 41 defendants to prison terms of three to 15 years for their involvement in an organ trafficking ring.

The ring included university professors, doctors, nurses, medical centre owners and brokers.

According to a law passed in 2017, those who perform an organ transplant by deception or force can face life in prison and fines of between EGP 1 million and EGP 2 million, or the death penalty if their operations result in a victim's death.