A file photo of Naira El-Zoghby
The tragic circumstances surrounding Naira's passing, which prompted public outcry and suspicions of foul play, have led the prosecution to reopen the case and exhume her body for post-mortem examination.
Naira, a veterinary medicine student at Arish University, reportedly ended her own life after being threatened by two of her colleagues who intended to expose personal information about her.
In a statement on Sunday, the prosecution revealed that the two individuals in custody are accused of writing threats to expose private matters concerning the victim, accompanied by a demand.
Additionally, the prosecution charged them with violating Naira's personal life, which is considered a misdemeanor.
Blackmail is an offense classified as a felony under Egyptian law and is sufficient to put perpetrators behind bars if convicted.
According to the investigation conducted by the prosecution, the victim faced psychological pressure after the first accused, a woman, threatened to publish a conversation that had been forwarded from Naira's phone to hers without consent.
The woman then shared the conversation with the man, who proceeded to contact the entire student group of their grade on WhatsApp, urging them to select a date for the release of the conversation and photos he claimed to possess.
He, however, did not disclose the identity of the student involved.
The man demanded an apology from this student for the perceived wrongdoing against the woman who made the initial threat.
As part of their inquiry, the prosecution seized the phones belonging to both the accused and the victim for further investigation.
Traces of suicide
Naira is thought to have killed herself by ingesting pesticide tablets.
The prosecution team followed the expected timeline of events after Naira had left the university, which led them to a pesticide shop, said the statement.
The shop owner confirmed that Naira had come and requested pesticide tablets, while a taxi driver who transported her during this trip mentioned that she claimed to need them for studying purposes.
Subsequently, the taxi driver took Naira to another shop owner, where she purchased three pesticide tablets for EGP 55.
The prosecution has expedited a request for a forensic medicine report to determine the specific cause of death.
Fighting blackmailing
Naira's tragic death evokes memories of the painful incident involving Passant Khaled, a 17-year-old girl who took her own life in 2022 after falling victim to blackmail with photoshopped nude photos.
The public outcry due to similar causes, including Naira’s, has prompted calls on social media for more robust measures to protect people, particularly women and teenagers, from blackmail and extortion.
Social media users are urging preventative measures to avert such incidents before they occur.
In its statement, the prosecution asserted its commitment to take decisive action against any violations of personal privacy rights, which are safeguarded by constitutional articles and laws.
Furthermore, it pledged to combat the dissemination of false information on social media that seeks to incite public opinion and perpetuate discord without factual verification.
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