The Doctors Syndicate has appointed a lawyer to represent the army doctor undergoing a military trial for conducting a virginity test on Samira Ibrahim, one of several female protesters detained by the military last March. The judge announced in today's session that the case will be adjourned to 29 January to allow the new lawyer to review it. “This is the decision of the syndicate's board. They met and decided that the syndicate's role is to stand by the doctor, especially since what he did was in accordance to orders that he received,” said Ashraf Khamis, head of the syndicate's legal affairs department. Khamis says that the lawyers will review the case to assess the position of the doctor and whether he carried out the virginity test based on “personal motivations” or orders that he had to abide by. Mona Mina, a member of the syndicate's high board, says that the decision was necessary to make sure that the doctor on trial is the person that conducted the virginity tests and that he is not simply a scapegoat. “If it were proven that he is guilty of this act, which is against the ethics of the profession, and especially considering the bizarre circumstances of the incident, the syndicate will support his punishment and will also punish him internally,” says Mina. After their release, several of the seven girls that underwent virginity tests while in military custody claimed that they were forced to take the tests in a room with open doors and windows, while soldiers watched. Ahmed Hossam, lawyer from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, who represents Ibrahim in the case, said that he was shocked to hear that the syndicate had appointed a lawyer for the defendant, who is accused of an act that was met with public outrage. While the defendant now has two lawyers representing him, Ibrahim has no legal representation in the case. The military court doesn't recognize civilian rights lawyers, hence only defense lawyers and those of the prosecution are recognized. Hossam has filed a request through the prosecution to be legally recognized in the case as Ibrahim's defense lawyer. He also requested that the court change the charge from that of "indecent behavior" to "sexual assault." The charge of indecent behavior penalizes acts that offend the public. Hossam says that this means that the defendant is not being tried for the act itself but for doing it in the presence of other people. Samira is the only one of the seven girls that were subjected to virginity tests that day to press charges. Ibrahim has already won one case last month that resulted in a ruling from the Administrative Court banning the future practice of virginity tests in military detention. She has another case in progress demanding her retrial in a civilian court. Ibrahim was released in March with a suspended one-year verdict from a military court.
