In an attempt to silence women from speaking against sexual harassment, Egypt has jailed yet another woman on charges of "spreading false news" and "possessing indecent material."
In May, authorities detained Amal Fathy, Egyptian actress and former activist, after uploading a video criticizing the country's failed attempt at protecting women.
Months after being held in custody, Fathy has received a two-year suspended sentence and a fine of 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($558.)
In the video uploaded a few months ago, Fathy detailed her vile encounter with sexual harassment whilst visiting a bank in Egypt.
A couple of days after the post, Egyptian authorities raided her home, arresting her, her husband, and son. The latter two were ultimately released. Fathy was put on trial.
Trial #2 ...
Fathy is currently facing a second trial on charges of "misusing social media networks to spread material that "could hurt Egypt's security and public interest" as well as "belonging to an outlawed group."
"The sentencing is an appalling verdict that contains a message for every harasser, that he is free to harass without fearing punishment, and to every victim of harassment that if she speaks out, she will be jailed," said Mohamed Lotfy, Fathy's husband and head of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, according to The Guardian.
Fathy is currently in pre-trial detention due to the country's newly released law allowing the country's media regulator to monitor social media users.
The new law also allows the country's media regulator to "suspend or block any personal account which publishes or broadcasts fake news or anything [information] inciting violating the law, racism, intolerance, violence, discrimination between citizens, or hatred".
Sexual harassment continues to be an issue millions of Egyptian women face on a daily basis
According to a report released in 2013 by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, 99.3 percent of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment.
A recent study conducted by UN women and Promundo, a Brazilian organization campaigning for gender equality, also revealed that around 43 percent of men in Egypt actually believe that women enjoy getting attention and have no problem with being harassed.
In 2017, Cairo was named as the "most dangerous megacity in the world for women" in a poll conducted by Thomson Reuters Foundation.
"The sentencing of Amal Fathy aims to terrorize women out of public space"
"An outrageous case of injustice"
"As an Egyptian, a woman, a human ... it breaks my heart to see this happen again and again"
"Egypt is clamping down on women who complain of sexual harassment and assault"
Earlier this year, a Lebanese woman was detained in Egypt after calling out sexual harassment in the country in a video that ultimately went viral.
In July, Mona el-Mazbouh was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of "spreading false rumors that would harm society, attacking religion, and public indecency," according to Reuters.
In the footage that got Mona el-Mazbouh in trouble, she detailed her experience with sexual harassment while vacationing in Cairo, and referred to Egyptians as the "dirtiest people on earth."
The 24-year-old also called Egypt "the country of pimps ... the country of beggars" and went on to criticize the country's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
"You deserve what Sisi is doing to you, I hope God sends you someone more oppressive than Sisi," she said.
In September, Mazbouh was released from prison.
According to her lawyer, el-Mazbouh went back to her home country after paying a fine of 10,700 Egyptian pounds ($598,) according to The Washington Post.