clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Teenager randomly arrested in Egypt, gives birth while handcuffed

April 5, 2014 at 4:41 pm

Dahab Hamdy, an 18 year old Egyptian girl, was randomly arrested on January 14 on charges of taking part in a demonstration. Dahab had been pregnant (in her 8th month) at the time of the arrest.


In the following video, she narrates that she was walking in the street when security forces arbitrarily arrested her and her friend as they were heading to the hospital for a medical check-up, although they were not taking part in the protest.

The security officer who arrested her warned her that she would give birth in prison. Her provisional detention has been renewed three times for 15 days. Now she is lying in the hospital, handcuffed, awaiting for a decision to send her back to her detention centre at the Al-Amereya police headquarters.

Dahab’s husband insists that his wife is not affiliated to any political party and was simply passing by a demonstration when she got arrested. He contacted the Public Prosecutor about his wife’s case but hasn’t received a response yet.

Transcript below the video

Transcript of the video:

Dahab: My name is Dahab… Dahab Hamdy. I was walking in the street, and they took me [arrested me].

Interviewer: Were you taking part in a protest?

Dahab: No. I was walking, heading to a pregnancy check-up [in hospital]. They [police forces] arrested me and my friend. One young man kept telling them “she has nothing to do with [the protest]” but still they arrested me.

Interviewer: What happened after that?

Dahab: They took us to the police headquarters [in Sahel] and we stayed there, then moved us to Al-Amereya police headquarters.

Interviewer: When was that?

Dahab: This was on the day of the referendum [January 14, 2014].

Interviewer: How did they treat you in the police headquarters?

Dahab: As soon I arrived at the police headquarters, I told the police officer I did nothing. He replied “be aware that you will give birth in prison. Keep silent and don’t speak.”

Interviewer: How did you come to the hospital?

Dahab: The lawyer brought me here.

Interviewer: Will you return to prison?

Dahab: Yes, they will return me to prison.

Interviewer: What are you accused of?

Dahab: They accuse me of involvement in protests and riots and similar accusations.

Interviewer: How will your case proceed?

Dahab: I still have 15 days to finish, then

Interviewer: What’s your message to the decision makers in the country now?

Dahab: I hope I don’t return to the police [provisional detention] with my daughter. There is no medical care there. Here is better. That’s it.

Interviewer: What did you name your baby girl?

Dahab: Horreya [Freedom].

Source: Rassd