Trans Man Detained in an Egyptian Women's Prison is 'Being Tortured' With Vaginal Tests

Egyptian LBGT activist Malak Elkashif took to Facebook to post details about a trans friend of hers who has been detained in a women's prison since March 2019 where he has been forced to undergo a vaginal test. 

Hossam Ahmad was arrested before he finished all needed medical procedures for his full transition.

Translation: "Good morning. This is an invitation to show solidarity and to blog about Hossam Ahmad, a trans man who hasn't finished all the needed procedures due to being in jail. Hossam and I were arrested on the basis of the same case (National security 1739). I wish that people who campaigned for my release do the same for him as he's been in jail for more than 10 months and is in a dangerous situation. The LGBTQ+ community in Egypt should do everything in their capacity to help him, even if they only use social media to post about him. It only takes a minute but has such a great impact. It's our duty to show solidarity even with people who don't identify with our community. We should be writing about him each and every day because no one can imagine the nightmare he's living. Please, do everything you can and write about him as much as possible. He needs us."

According to a Facebook fan page dedicated to Hossam's case, he has been forced to undergo a vaginal test intended to torture him.

Translation: "This banner is written in support of the campaign calling on Egyptian authorities to unconditionally release Hossam Ahmad, the trans man whose body has been violated during his time in jail, such as undergoing a vaginal test as a form of torture. Within days, Hossam will have spent a whole year in prison without any clear charges or actual trial. He's been arrested in very inhumane conditions that dehumanize him."

During their time in prison, both Malak and Hossam were placed in prison cells according to the sex assigned to them at birth. Hossam has reportedly been harassed and bullied by female inmates and officers. 

Malak ElKashif is a trans woman who was also detained in an all-male Egyptian detention center for about three months, following her and Hossam's participation in a protest against the government days after a deadly train accident took the lives of 21 people and was attributed by many activists to "government negligence and lack of maintenance." 

Translation: "What do governments have to do with our bodies? Don't we have full control of our bodies? Or maybe dictatorships consider everything as their own including people's bodies and organs?"

Malak was released last June and has been a prominent LGBT+ activist in Egypt ever since.