Weeks after their sudden arrest, five Egyptian women who have been known as the "Tiktok girls" have been sentenced to two years in prison and a $20k fine each; after being charged with "offending family values by posting immoral videos" on the popular video-sharing platform, triggering many angry reactions in Egyptian social media.
Today, Egypt's Economic Crt sentenced TikTok users Haneen Hossam and Mawada al-Adham & 3 others to 2 yrs in prison & an LE 300k fine for encroaching on family values.
— Mai El-Sadany (@maitelsadany) July 27, 2020
Since April, ~10 female TikTok users have been detained or prosecuted by authorities https://t.co/COXqD72FJj pic.twitter.com/Eplj2eS03U
Egyptian Public Prosecution accused the young women of nine different charges including human trafficking, referring to a video in which 19-years-old Haneen Hossam called on women amongst her 1.2 million followers to join Likee live streaming application "with good lighting setup and decent clothing to make money of up to $3k per hour in exchange for a good time."
Prior to the court verdict, social media activists had launched an online campaign calling on authorities to release the young women, arguing that "officials shouldn't dictate what individuals, especially women, do as long as they're not violating laws" and that the "government shouldn't be involved in dancing videos posted publicly on social media."
3. help us demand the release of the oppressed tiktok girls:
— #بعد_اذن_الاسرة_المصرية?✊? (@han7ararek) July 26, 2020
Haneen Hossam, Mawada El-Adham, Menna AbdelAziz, Sherry Hanem, Nora Hesham, Manar Samy, Reenad Emad and Hadeer Hady
use this link: https://t.co/rXozyZV3Y9#بعد_اذن_الاسرة_المصرية
I don’t know about whether the other tiktok girls were promoting the same app that Haneen Hossam was promoting, however if she was jailed for such why isn’t there the same energy for the men using these apps, who are pedos themselves?
— aquarius? (@cryindivaa) July 27, 2020
According to several local resources, Mawadda Al Adham's lawyer has revealed that she "refused to undergo a virginity test requested by authorities", which triggered even more anger on social media users' side.
detained tik tok girl mawada el adham´s lawyer said prosecutors requested that she undergo a virginity test!!!!!
— shahiraamin13 (@sherryamin13) July 27, 2020
One of the women sentenced to 2 years in jail for her social media videos today was asked to submit to a virginity test. She refused. https://t.co/aiLHtopj9o
— Yasmin El-Rifae (@yasminelrifae) July 27, 2020
Additionally, some social media commentators highlighted the contradiction between the current political regime's actions and its promise to "rescue Egypt from the religious control of the Muslim brotherhood" which briefly ruled the country between 2012-2013 before being ousted by the then-defense minister Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, who's been in power since.
And we are sold the ‘secular’ inclusive character of Egypt’s military led government as compared to former Muslim brotherhood regime. https://t.co/oCJ34UXgGz
— Syed Iqbal Simnani (@SimnaniIqbals) July 27, 2020
This is outrageous: A #Cairo court sentenced Mawada Eladhm, who has 3.1 million TikTok followers, and Haneen Hossam, with 1.2 million followers, to two years in prison and an EGP 300k fine for ‘violating family values and principles.’#بعد_اذن_الاسرة_المصرية #بداية_ثورة_نسوية https://t.co/tfzrmqsuWk
— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) July 27, 2020
According to Egyptian commentators, the country is witnessing unprecedented human rights violations, ones that were not carried out by previous political systems including the Mubarak regime, which was overthrown by the 2011 Arab Spring protests known in Egypt as the 25 January revolution.
الحمدلله ان الاخوان مشيوا كان زمانهم قبضوا علي بنات التيك توك وحبسوهم ، عالم فاضية والله ودماغهم تافهة كانوا هيسيبوا الكرونا ومشكلة المية ويدّوروا علي الستات والبنات يحبسوهم ، الحمدلله ان السيسي انقذنا منهم ???
— Nadia Mohamed (@nadiaamin1972) June 13, 2020
Translation: "Thank God the MB is no longer here or else they'd have detained women dancing on Tiktok. They couldn't be more ridiculous they would have ignored the Coronavirus and water scarcity and gone after women to put them in jail. Thank God Sisi has rescued us from them."
الواحد بيقعد يتخيل كمية ردود الافعال والصياح اللى كان هيحصل لو كان الإخوان هم اللى بيعملوا نفس اللى بتعملوا حكومة السيسي دلوقتي ... ابسطها الجري ورا بنات التيك توك مثلا .. دا احنا كنا هنسمع طرب والله في الحوار دا
— حـســـــــــان (@aahmed_hassaan) July 14, 2020
Translation: "I can't even imagine the reactions and anger if the MB were still in power and did what the Sisi's government is going right now, like arresting Tiktok girls. That would have been something."