The fundamental change, that must proceed all others is not a change of regulations, but a change in people's heads.
Egyptian women protesters forced to take ‘virginity tests’
© Demotix
23 March 2011
Amnesty International has today called on the Egyptian authorities to investigate serious allegations of torture, including forced ‘virginity tests’, inflicted by the army on women protesters arrested in Tahrir Square earlier this month.
After army officers violently cleared the square of protesters on 9 March, at least 18 women were held in military detention. Amnesty International has been told by women protesters that they were beaten, given electric shocks, subjected to strip searches while being photographed by male soldiers, then forced to submit to ‘virginity checks’ and threatened with prostitution charges.
‘Virginity tests’ are a form of torture when they are forced or coerced.
"Forcing women to have ‘virginity tests’ is utterly unacceptable. Its purpose is to degrade women because they are women," said Amnesty International. "All members of the medical profession must refuse to take part in such so-called 'tests'."
20-year-old Salwa Hosseini told Amnesty International that after she was arrested and taken to a military prison in Heikstep, she was made, with the other women, to take off all her clothes to be searched by a female prison guard, in a room with two open doors and a window. During the strip search, Salwa Hosseini said male soldiers were looking into the room and taking pictures of the naked women.
The women were then subjected to ‘virginity tests’ in a different room by a man in a white coat. They were threatened that “those not found to be virgins” would be charged with prostitution.
According to information received by Amnesty International, one woman who said she was a virgin but whose test supposedly proved otherwise was beaten and given electric shocks.
“Women and girls must be able to express their views on the future of Egypt and protest against the government without being detained, tortured, or subjected to profoundly degrading and discriminatory treatment,” said Amnesty International.
“The army officers tried to further humiliate the women by allowing men to watch and photograph what was happening, with the implicit threat that the women could be at further risk of harm if the photographs were made public.”
Journalist Rasha Azeb was also detained in Tahrir Square and told Amnesty International that she was handcuffed, beaten and insulted.
Following their arrest, the 18 women were initially taken to a Cairo Museum annex where they were reportedly handcuffed, beaten with sticks and hoses, given electric shocks in the chest and legs, and called “prostitutes”.
Rasha Azeb could see and hear the other detained women being tortured by being given electric shocks throughout their detention at the museum. She was released several hours later with four other men who were also journalists, but 17 other women were transferred to the military prison in Heikstep
Testimonies of other women detained at the same time collected by the El Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence are consistent with Rasha Azeb and Salwa Hosseini’s accounts of beatings, electrocution and ‘virginity tests’.
“The Egyptian authorities must halt the shocking and degrading treatment of women protesters. Women fully participated in bringing change in Egypt and should not be punished for their activism,” said Amnesty International.
“All security and army forces must be clearly instructed that torture and other ill-treatment, including forced ‘virginity tests’, will no longer be tolerated, and will be fully investigated. Those found responsible for such acts must be brought to justice and the courageous women who denounced such abuses be protected from reprisals.”
All 17 women detained in the military prison were brought before a military court on 11 March and released on 13 March. Several received one-year suspended prison sentences.
Salwa Hosseini was convicted of disorderly conduct, destroying private and public property, obstructing traffic and carrying weapons.
Amnesty International opposes the trial of civilians before military courts in Egypt, which have a track record of unfair trials and where the right to appeal is severely restricted.
After army officers violently cleared the square of protesters on 9 March, at least 18 women were held in military detention. Amnesty International has been told by women protesters that they were beaten, given electric shocks, subjected to strip searches while being photographed by male soldiers, then forced to submit to ‘virginity checks’ and threatened with prostitution charges.
‘Virginity tests’ are a form of torture when they are forced or coerced.
"Forcing women to have ‘virginity tests’ is utterly unacceptable. Its purpose is to degrade women because they are women," said Amnesty International. "All members of the medical profession must refuse to take part in such so-called 'tests'."
20-year-old Salwa Hosseini told Amnesty International that after she was arrested and taken to a military prison in Heikstep, she was made, with the other women, to take off all her clothes to be searched by a female prison guard, in a room with two open doors and a window. During the strip search, Salwa Hosseini said male soldiers were looking into the room and taking pictures of the naked women.
The women were then subjected to ‘virginity tests’ in a different room by a man in a white coat. They were threatened that “those not found to be virgins” would be charged with prostitution.
According to information received by Amnesty International, one woman who said she was a virgin but whose test supposedly proved otherwise was beaten and given electric shocks.
“Women and girls must be able to express their views on the future of Egypt and protest against the government without being detained, tortured, or subjected to profoundly degrading and discriminatory treatment,” said Amnesty International.
“The army officers tried to further humiliate the women by allowing men to watch and photograph what was happening, with the implicit threat that the women could be at further risk of harm if the photographs were made public.”
Journalist Rasha Azeb was also detained in Tahrir Square and told Amnesty International that she was handcuffed, beaten and insulted.
Following their arrest, the 18 women were initially taken to a Cairo Museum annex where they were reportedly handcuffed, beaten with sticks and hoses, given electric shocks in the chest and legs, and called “prostitutes”.
Rasha Azeb could see and hear the other detained women being tortured by being given electric shocks throughout their detention at the museum. She was released several hours later with four other men who were also journalists, but 17 other women were transferred to the military prison in Heikstep
Testimonies of other women detained at the same time collected by the El Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence are consistent with Rasha Azeb and Salwa Hosseini’s accounts of beatings, electrocution and ‘virginity tests’.
“The Egyptian authorities must halt the shocking and degrading treatment of women protesters. Women fully participated in bringing change in Egypt and should not be punished for their activism,” said Amnesty International.
“All security and army forces must be clearly instructed that torture and other ill-treatment, including forced ‘virginity tests’, will no longer be tolerated, and will be fully investigated. Those found responsible for such acts must be brought to justice and the courageous women who denounced such abuses be protected from reprisals.”
All 17 women detained in the military prison were brought before a military court on 11 March and released on 13 March. Several received one-year suspended prison sentences.
Salwa Hosseini was convicted of disorderly conduct, destroying private and public property, obstructing traffic and carrying weapons.
Amnesty International opposes the trial of civilians before military courts in Egypt, which have a track record of unfair trials and where the right to appeal is severely restricted.
what the fuck!!!!!
ReplyDeleteΝα φύει ο Μουμπάρακ, να φύει ο Καντάφι, να φύει ο Ασσαντ.
ReplyDeleteΜετά;
...Έχουμε και τον Χριστόφκια! Έχουμε δουλειά ακόμα!
ReplyDeleteη Ευρώπη για να είναι αυτό που είναι σήμερα πέρασε από πολλά. από μεσαίωνα από σκοταδισμό, ήρθε ο διαφωτισμός η αναγγέννηση. πέρασε από πολέμους, από σπαραγμούς, διαλύθηκε δυο φορές, έκανε χιλιάδες λάθη για να μάθει το σωστό. ο αραβικός κόσμος είναι ακόμα στις αρχές. η δημοκρατία θα έρθει όταν περάσουν όλη τη διαδικασία. όχι όταν φύγει ο κάθε πελλοδικτάτορας.
ReplyDeleteΥγ. το σχόλιο του Χρίστου όλα τα λεφτά.
ReplyDeleteΣτροβολιώτη
ReplyDeleteνα μείνουν ηα ήταν η ευκολη λύση για μας που είμαστεν αππέσσω του χόρου
Αντίχριστε
:-)
Μάνα
ακρίβως τούτη εν η γνώμη μου τζιαι μέναν.
τζιαι υποστηρίζω οτι πρέπει ΜΟΝΟΙ τους να τα καταφέρουν, ή εστω με διπλοματική βοήθειαν. με το μπέννω μέσα, φέρνω δημοκρατία με το έτσι θέλω, παίρνω φυσικούς πόρους εν καμνουμεν τίποτε!
Φρίκη δεν λες τίποτα. Αν δεν ελευθερώσουν τα μυαλά τους δεν υπάρχει δημοκρατία.
ReplyDeleteΕσύ που έζησες εκεί Ποστ μου, μπορείς να μας πεις αν υπάρχει μεγαλύτερη ανοχή στις ανώτερες τάξεις;
Βέβαια ας μεν περιπαιζούμαστεν διότι μπορεί στην μεσογειακή Ευρώπη να μην υπάρχουν νόμοι, που να καταδικάζουν τη συμπεριφορά και τις αρχές μιας γυναίκας αλλά οι κοινωνίες έχουν τρόπους να την στιγματίσουν.
thalassa
ReplyDeleteakrivws opos to eipes h koinonia timorei tziai sheirottera.
Ontos, stes anoteres takseis en llion pio xalara ta pramata, alla oulles oi kopelles oses egnorisa (spoudasmenes klp.) ekamnan sex krifa tziai elean oti en parthenes) oi de antres (spoudasmenoi tou ekswterikou episis) ethelan men sex, alla efilodoksousan na pantreftoun parthenes:-(
συμφωνώ εντελώς με την Μάνα. Θέλει τον τζιαιρό του. Αλλά όπως είπες τζιαι εσύ Ποστ, ενεν η δική μας δουλειά να τους επιβληθούμε. Μόνοι τους εννα ανακαλύψουν την ισορροπία που τους ταιρκάζει
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteΌπου κυριαρχεί το πνευματικό δόγμα το πρώτο πράμα που συμβαίνει εν η καταπίεση της θηλυκής ενέργειας, η οποία εν πολύτιμο αγαθό για τους Ελεχτές της κοινωνίας τζιαι θέλουν το δικόν τους. Μόνο με την καταστροφή της γυναίκας μπορούν να κρατήσουν τα ισοζύγια όπως τα θέλουν.
ReplyDeleteΑν δούμε γυρό μας, το δόγμα που ζεί μέσα που την καταστροφή της γυναίκας υπάρχει σε ούλλες τες κοινωνίες που ακολουθούν το Πατρίδα-Θρησκεία-Οικογένεια.
Φαίνεται πιό έντονα σε αραβικές κοινωνίες. Μα δέτε γυρόν σας τζιαι φαίνεται.
she
ReplyDeleteden exo logia...
freaky shit indeed..we are so used to taking things for granted και εν λίο shocking που δίπλα μας συμβαίνουν τούτα..
ReplyDeleteΑντίχριστε,
ReplyDeleteΜετά τον Χριστόφια είναι η σειρά του Αναστασιάδη. Τι θα πούμε στα παιδιά μας; Τι θα γράψει η ιστορία; Η μαύρη δεκαετία.
Ποστ,
Η Δύση έχει υποχρέωση παρέμβασης. Απουσία παρέμβασης δεν σημαίνει ουδετερότητα. Σημαίνει υποστήριξη εκείνου που κατέχει την ισχύ.
Και στο κάτω κάτω τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα είναι οικουμενικές αξίες. Είναι κατοχυρωμένη ανθρώπινη γνώση το ότι άμα σέβεσαι το συνάνθρωπό σου έχεις πιο πολλές πιθανότητες να είσαι ασφαλής.
Η παραβίαση τόσο ουσιώδους ανθρώπινης γνώσης με εξοπλίζει με το δικαίωμα να σου την κοινοποιήσω. Και στην τελική να σου επιβάλω αυτή τη γνώση.