Egypt: TV presenter jailed for violating privacy of assault victim

Raham Saeed a TV presenter has been sentenced to two years in jail by an Egyptian court for ‘violating the privacy’ of an assault victim interviewed on her show when she suggested during an interview that the sexual harassment victim deserved her fate.

Her guest who was a victim of assault in a shopping mall last October- an incident which was captured on CCTV, uploaded the assault footage by her harasser after the police failed to prosecute him.

But rather than show solidarity, Saeed aired private pictures of her guest in what she called “revealing clothes” including a bikini.
In the footage, a man and woman walk into frame and appear to argue. The man then reaches out and slaps the woman, before being restrained by mall security and onlookers.

The woman in the footage complained to the police that the man was sexually harassing her.

The video was then viewed hundreds of thousands of times online.

In one of many television appearances, the woman spoke to Saeed on her show on the private al-Nahar network.

Saeed asked her: “Do you think you were dressed appropriately?” before launching a monologue blaming the victim. On the day of the assault, the victim had been wearing jeans and a sleeveless top.

The guest later filed a legal complaint against the the network, and Saeed’s show Sabaya al-Khair (Charity Girls) was briefly suspended.