An Egyptian court has sentenced five men to
life imprisonment and another to 20 years for
sexually harassing and attacking women
during celebrations held after President Abdel
Fattah al-Sisi's election.
The verdict on Wednesday may ease concerns
that Egyptian authorities have done little to
tackle widespread sexual harassment.
Egypt issued a new law in early June that
punishes sexual harassment with at least six
months in jail or fines of at least 3,000
Egyptian pounds (420 USD).
Sexual assault has been common for a decade
at large gatherings in Egypt, where half the 86
million population are poor and illiterate. It was
rampant at protests during and after the 2011
uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
Sexual harassment, high rates of female
genital cutting and a surge in violence after the
Arab Spring uprisings have made Egypt the
worst country in the Arab world to be a
woman, a Thomson Reuters Foundation
survey showed late last year.
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