Egyptian Man Recently Arrested for Charges of Sexual Harassment on Whatsapp

A young man was arrested on Monday in Al-Zuk village under allegations of using WhatsApp to sexually harass women.

The defendant was arrested in the West Bank town of Mansoura, Dakahlia, and has been referred to the public prosecutor’s office.

Mansoura-based 25-year-old housewife, Noura SA, had filed a complaint against 37-year-old Emad A, accusing him of sending her inappropriate messages. The complaint was then handed over to the police station after passing through the general directorate of information technology.

The police managed to access the defendant's phone once he was arrested. However he was released after paying an EGP 5000 fine. 

In Egypt, verbal or sexual harassment in private or public spaces is punishable by law with a minimum sentence of 6 months and fines starting from EGP 3000, according to article 306 of the country's penal code. This extends to stalking and inappropriate behavior online. Repeat offenders can face up to a minimum of one year in jail and a fine of EGP 5000. If the harassment is repeated, the sentence and fines are doubled. 

There has been a stream of recent sexual harassment cases circulating across Egypt, with the two most recent ones including a viral video of a women being harassed in Cairo’s fifth settlement and the murder of a man defending his wife against a sexual harasser in Alexandria.

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