Cairo criminal appeal court acquits Uber driver of attempted kidnap of Habiba Al-Shamaa

CAIRO – 22 August 2024: A Cairo criminal appeal court acquitted an Uber driver of the charge of attempting to kidnap 24-year-old lady Habiba Al-Shamaa, who tragically succumbed to injuries sustained after jumping from the moving vehicle during the trip in Cairo.

Nevertheless, the court sentenced the driver to five years in prison for the possession and use of narcotics.

This ruling is not final and can be appealed. The Court of Cassation is the court that has the final word in criminal cases and usually either uphold or decrease sentences handed by the criminal courts.

This verdict marks a significant reduction from the previous ruling in April, which had sentenced the driver to 15 years in prison, a fine of LE 50,000, and the revocation of his driver's license.

Habiba passed away on March 14 after spending three weeks in a coma following the incident on the Cairo-Suez Road, which resulted in a brain hemorrhage.

The incident sparked public outrage, highlighting concerns about the safety measures employed by ride-hailing companies in Egypt to protect their customers.

Following the tragedy, Habiba's mother mentioned that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi had personally monitored her daughter's health condition.

In March, the Public Prosecution referred the 34-year-old driver to a criminal trial on charges of attempting to kidnap Habiba, possessing hashish, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs.

The prosecution cited an eyewitness who tried to assist Habiba after she jumped from the driver's car. The eyewitness said that Habiba told him that "Uber [driver] wanted to kidnap me," moments before she fell into a coma.

The driver's actions immediately after the incident, where he fled the scene without attending to Habiba or checking on her condition, cast doubts on his conduct and led to a lack of public sympathy.

The driver told police that he left the scene to avoid potential trouble, according to a statement by the Ministry of Interior in February.

The mother filed a criminal complaint with the Public Prosecution, accusing the driver of attempting to kidnap her daughter and causing her injuries.

Uber's legal representatives informed investigators that the ride-sharing company had closed the defendant's account due to complaints from customers against him, as per local reports.

Despite this, the representatives stated that the driver had resumed working with the app under a false national ID number.