Egyptian court rules virginity tests violated women's human rights

David Kirkpatrick

CAIRO: The Egyptian military violated the human rights of female demonstrators by subjecting them to ''virginity tests'' intended to humiliate them, an administrative court has ruled.

The decision was the first to address a scandal arising from one of the military's first crackdowns on protesters, on March 9, less than a month after it seized power with the ouster of the president Hosni Mubarak.

The ruling was also the first time since the military takeover that a civilian court has tried to exert judicial authority over the ruling generals, who have suspended the constitution and set themselves up as the only source of law.

An Egyptian general had justified the tests to safeguard soldiers from being accused of raping detainees.

The court found that such arguments were no justification for violating women's bodies, according to text of the ruling provided by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, which helped argue the case.

''These acts involve deliberate humiliation and intentional insult to women participating in protests,'' the court said in its ruling, calling the military's conduct of the tests ''a criminal offence''.

''It represents a violation of human rights and freedoms which make up the most sublime constitutional rights and freedoms of all,'' the court's ruling declared.

Egyptian state news media said military officials characterised the ruling as meaningless since ''virginity tests'' were already outside military procedures.

Tuesday's decision carries no official penalty or sanction against the military.

Hundreds of activists were in the Cairo courtroom to hear the verdict in the case filed by Samira Ibrahim, one of seven women subjected to the test after being arrested in Tahrir Square during a protest on March 9.

After the verdict Ms Ibrahim posted on Twitter: ''Thank you to the people, thank you to Tahrir Square that taught me to challenge, thank you to the revolution that taught me perseverance.''

The 25-year-old marketing manager, who said she faced death threats for bringing the case, told CNN: ''Justice has been served today.

''These tests are a crime and also do not comply with the constitution, which states equality between men and women. I will not give up my rights as a woman or a human being.

''The military tortured me, labelled me a prostitute and humiliated me by forcing on me a virginity test conducted by a male doctor where my body was fully exposed while military soldiers watched.''

The decision comes as the military is already under heavy criticism over its brutality towards civilian demonstrators, including women.

The New York Times;

Guardian News & Media


(2011-12-29/smh.com.au)