Since April 2020, Egyptian authorities have arrested at least 12 women social media influencers on charges such as “public indecency." violating “public morals," and “undermining family values" under Egypt's "morality" laws. According to Egypt’s Prosecutor General, many of the arrests are in reaction to hisba complaints made by social media users and lawyers regarding videos the women posted that were viewed as breaking with Islamic Sharia norms and values. In Egypt, “morality” laws are formalized under the 2018 cybercrime laws and under several Penal Code provisions; they prohibit acts and online content that are seen as threatening societal values, a condition that is left undefined. Because they tend to focus on female behavior and clothing, these “morality" laws disproportionately affect women, resulting in discrimination against women and a violation of their right to privacy and freedom of expression.
Compiled from: Egypt: Spate of ‘Morality’ Prosecutions of Women, Human Rights Watch (August 17, 2020).