Details: 5 accused of blackmailing young woman, causing her suicide referred to criminal court

CAIRO – 19 January 2022: Egypt’s Top Prosecutor Hamada al-Sawy ordered to refer five defendants in the case of the death of student, Passant Khaled, to the Criminal Court.

The defendants are accused of committing the crime of human trafficking after they photoshopped photos of the young woman turning them into seductive ones and blackmailed her online, causing her to commit suicide.

They were arrested earlier this month, 24 hours after the story became viral on social media.

The victim is Passant Khaled, a high-school student aged 17. Passant drank poison, after her family saw the photos and video edited by the two men, who were trying to talk to her but she declined so they threatened her to avenge, posting them on social media.

Before committing suicide, Passant wrote a letter to her mother saying that the woman in the footage is not her, and that she would never behave in this way.

Below, et outlines the most prominent accusations drawn against the accused, and the evidence on them:

Accusations:

1-   Committing the crime of human trafficking

2-   Exploiting the victim’s weakness in the face of their threats to publish indecent images

3-   The intent to sexually exploit her and force her to engage in immoral acts

4-   Indecent assault by the use of force and threats

5-    Threatening her to publish offensive pictures of her

6-   Attacking the sanctity of her private life and family principles and values 

Evidence:

1-   Testimony of 13 witnesses

2-   Statements of defendants brought to trial

3-    Confessions of other defendants with other facts

4-   Report of the Forensic Evidence Department after examining the photos and clips attributed to the girl

5-   Report of the General Administration of Technical Assistance after examining the phones of the accused

6-   Records of a fixed telephone landline company revealing conversations between the deceased and one of the accused