Egypt: Arbitrary Detention, Torture and Sexual Abuse of an Adolescent Woman

On 1 October 2014, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal before the United Nations Special Procedures concerning the arbitrary detention and torture of Rawda Jamal Abd Al Azzem, an 18 year-old student arrested by the Egyptian police on 28 December 2013, in Nasr City.

She was arrested without motives on her way back home from a relative, by a police officer, and brought to Nasr City police station where she was charged with having participated to an "illegal demonstration", under the restrictive law on protests.

Whilst in custody, she reported having been verbally abused and threatened to be raped by policemen and investigation officers. One of them even stated that she would "get impregnated" before getting out of the police station. Her lawyers and relatives sent several telegrams to the authorities and particularly to the Public Prosecutor, and lodged a complaint before the Chief Prosecutor to challenge the lawfulness of her detention. If the latter advised them to add these allegations to the case-file, no further action was taken.

Rawda Al Azzem was finally transferred to the Central Security Forces camp, an unofficial detention facility, where she was again threatened to be raped and was constantly harassed by soldiers. They deprived her of sleep by watering the floor of her cell with dirty water, forcing her to stand up for several hours. She was then moved to Al Qanater prison on 31 December 2013 where she remained incommunicado for 11 consecutive days. She reported having been harassed by the prison personnel upon her arrival and that one of the guards was constantly asking other inmates to hassle her. She also stated having been sexually abused and forced to undergo virginity tests.

In reprisal for her protests against her detention's conditions, she was moved to Banha prison, a disciplinary detention facility on 11 June 2014 and was last authorised to see her family on 11 August 2014. Rawda Al Azzem is psychologically affected and depressed by the humiliating treatments she has been subjected to.

Concerned about her fate and worried that she may be subject to further torture and sexual harassment, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the UN Special Procedures to ask the Egyptian authorities to immediately release Rawda Jamal Abd Al Azzem and authorise her family to visit her. The Egyptian authorities should be reminded of their international obligations and commitments and take concrete steps to end the ongoing violence in the country, in particular against women in detention facilities.

For more information or an interview, please contact the media team at media@alkarama.org (Dir: +41 22 734 1007 Ext: 810)