CAIRO: Prominent activists and democracy fighter Asmaa Mahfouz was sentenced to one year in prison, and fined 2000 EGP, effective at once, for allegedly “beating” a man and causing a large wound on his face. Mahfouz announced on her personal Twitter account that the person, identified as Abdel Aziz Fahmy, is the same man who sued activist Alaa Abdel Fatah and writer Nawarah Negm, prior to targeting her with “completely false accusations”. Mahfouz said she was summoned by the prosecutor on Wednesday and her father had to fill in for her, as she prepared to travel to Beirut, to give a speech at the American University in Beirut, on International Women's Day on March 8. “I, of course didn't take it seriously, simply because I never laid my hand on anyone,” Mahfouz said in a video statement posted on YouTube. Mahfouz said the judge warned her father that upon her arrival in Cairo International Airport, she could be arrested. She planned to leave for one day only and return to Egypt shortly after the speech. “I found out that by the sentence, I became a criminal. It is a false sentence to false accusations as I have never in my life seen this guy,” Mahfouz found out that she was wanted at the court and not the prosecutor's office upon her father's arrival and he was informed that Asmaa was handed a year in prison, effective immediately, and if she is caught, she will go to prison. She said she presented what is called “an objection”, to halt the court order through her lawyer. Mahfouz also added she was informed that over 700 people filed a lawsuit against her, for the revolution anchors on “ON TV” channel Yousri Fouda and Reem Maged. She added that the suit was transferred from the civil prosecutor to a military one, in order to get a swift judgment. “As we can see our judiciary system can move very fast and try us while Mubarak and his aids are still on trial and others accomplices are not even in prison, enjoying a free life. Their media convinces people that sit-ins and protests are behind the country's dire conditions and it is harming people financially, but for the past months, there were no protests or sit-ins, so how can they justify themselves,” Mahfouz argued. “I am not going to be intimidated or scared, and I will not quit fighting for my rights and the right for my country to be “clean” and to have a clean independent judiciary system.” Mahfouz added. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/aI8o1 Tags: Asmaa Mahfouz, featured, Sentenced Section: Egypt, Featured Articles, Human Rights, Latest News, Women
