Egyptian court adjourns trial of alleged sexual harasser Ahmed Bassam Zaki to 7 November

El-Sayed Gamal El-Din , Saturday 10 Oct 2020

Zaki, who is in his early twenties, was arrested on 4 July upon an official complaint made by a woman claiming the man blackmailed her in November 2016 in an attempt to force her to have sex with him

A Cairo criminal court adjourned on Saturday the trial on multitude sexual crimes allegedly committed by Ahmed Bassam Zaki, to 7, November. 

The defendant, who attended the first hearing session in the case under tight security measures, denied charges attributed to him. 

Zaki, who is in his early twenties, was arrested on 4, July and referred to criminal court two months later, after the country's public prosecution received an official complaint from a woman who claimed the man blackmailed her in November 2016 in an attempt to force her to have sex with him. 

 

The official step came after dozens of women anonymously accused him of committing sexual crimes in an online campaign earlier this summer, with some of the victims sharing messages and calls that purportedly supported their claims. 

The official charges levelled against Zaki are sexually assaulting three minor girls and coercing them, along with another girl, into engaging in sexual relationships with him by threatening to divulge matters that harm their honour as well as harassing them using telecommunication devices. 

He is accused of sexually harassing two of the victims and of violating the sanctity of the private life of one of them via taking photos -- without her consent -- while kissing her. 

He is also accused of using social media networks in committing the crimes, and of possessing cannabis with the intention of consuming it. 

Various measures have been taken recently by the Egyptian prosecutor-general in sexual assault cases, which continue to be brought to light amid a revived wave of the #MeToo movement that encourages victims to come forward with their sexual assault and harassment stories.

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