The cases of Haneen Hossam and Mawada El Adham have raised questions about the criminalisation of online behaviour in Egypt, particularly when it comes to women. AFP
The cases of Haneen Hossam and Mawada El Adham have raised questions about the criminalisation of online behaviour in Egypt, particularly when it comes to women. AFP
The cases of Haneen Hossam and Mawada El Adham have raised questions about the criminalisation of online behaviour in Egypt, particularly when it comes to women. AFP
The cases of Haneen Hossam and Mawada El Adham have raised questions about the criminalisation of online behaviour in Egypt, particularly when it comes to women. AFP

Cairo court reduces TikTok influencer's jail sentence to three years


Nada El Sawy
  • English
  • Arabic

A Cairo court has reduced Egyptian TikTok influencer Haneen Hossam’s 10-year prison sentence for human trafficking to three years.

The criminal court sentenced Hossam in her absence and issued a fine of 200,000 Egyptian pounds ($10,830). She was 19 at the time.

A written verdict explaining the reasons for the reduced sentence is expected within days, Mahmoud Hider of the Regional Centre for Rights and Liberties told The National.

The judge indicated the sentence was reduced owing to Hossam’s age and naivete, said Mr Hider, who was in court.

Hossam and fellow influencer Mawada El Adham, both now in their twenties, were accused of exploiting young girls and inciting them to immorality in exchange for money through social media platforms. They denied the charges.

There are real and serious cases of human trafficking that must be prosecuted - these TikTok cases are not it
Mai El Sadany,
US-based human rights lawyer

The cases have ignited a fierce debate over the criminalisation of online behaviour in Egypt, particularly when it comes to women.

“The justice system is criminalising what influencers globally do every day when they invite others to work with them and monetise TikTok activity,” Mai El Sadany, a human rights lawyer in the US and director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, said on Twitter.

“There are real and serious cases of human trafficking that must be prosecuted – these TikTok cases are not it."

Both women were arrested in 2020 and initially charged with breaching family values and inciting immorality.

Hossam, who had more than a million TikTok followers, encouraged women to post videos on Likee, a Singaporean streaming app that allows users to make money based on the number of followers they attract.

Ms El Adham, who had 3.1 million TikTok followers and 1.6 million Instagram followers, was accused of posting indecent lip-synching and dance videos. She also used Likee.

An appeals court acquitted the pair of the immorality charges in January, only to introduce the more severe charges of human trafficking.

Prosecutors say Likee was used by the women for prostitution.

Hossam was released on a bail of 5,000 pounds, while El Adham was kept in detention.

In June, the court found the pair guilty of human trafficking, sentencing Hossam to 10 years and El Adham to six years, in addition to fines of 200,000 pounds each.

Hossam was not present, despite an order from the public prosecution to appear in court.

Three men, including two Egyptian Likee employees, were found guilty of aiding the women and received six-year sentences, along with the same fines.

Prosecutors said Hossam and El Adham exploited girls in a state of economic vulnerability, promising to give them money in exchange for acts that were contrary to the principles and values of Egyptian society.

The crimes were committed by an organised group for the purposes of human trafficking, prosecutors said.

The Ministry of Interior arrested Hossam, who was in hiding, in accordance with the public prosecution order.

Mr Hider, whose organisation represented Hossam in the initial case against her, said he was surprised her sentence was reduced to three years.

“We thought that it would be six years, like the others,” he said.

It could mean there is still hope that the sentences will be reduced further, he said.

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
The biog

Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia

Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins

Favourite dish: Grilled fish

Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.

Britain's travel restrictions
  • A negative test 2 days before flying
  • Complete passenger locator form
  • Book a post-arrival PCR test
  • Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
  • 11 countries on red list quarantine

     
Results

2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).

2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.

3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.

3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.

4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.

4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.

HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?

Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.

They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen 

They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.

The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.

2021 World Triathlon Championship Series

May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China

New UK refugee system

 

  • A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
  • Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
  • A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
  • To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
  • Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
  • Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
How to avoid crypto fraud
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What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.

It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.

There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.

In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.

In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.

It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 325bhp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh359,000

On sale: now 

The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The bio

Who inspires you?

I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist

How do you relax?

Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.

What is favourite book?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times

What is your favourite Arabic film?

Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki

What is favourite English film?

Mamma Mia

Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?

If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.  

 

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Manchester United v Club America

When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)

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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

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Transmission: 9-speed auto

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Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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