The Mokattam Misdemeanor Court acquitted the accused in the bus harassment case, due to insufficient evidence, and rejected the related civil lawsuit. According to According to local media reports on Tuesday, March 24.
Under Egyptian law, acquittal due to insufficient evidence means charges will be brought He could It is not proven beyond a reasonable doubt, rather than confirming that the accident did not occur. The ruling remains subject to appeal by both the Public Prosecution and the complainant.
Case dates behind Until February 2026, when a video went viral on social media showing a young woman confronting a man on a public bus in Cairo after he allegedly followed and verbally harassed her.
woman, It has been identified Maryam Shawqi also claimed at the time that the man followed her from her workplace and took the same bus, where he insulted her, commented on her clothes, and tried to assault her. She also said some passengers stood by the man rather than intervening.
According to investigations conducted by the Ministry of Interior at the time Found The suspect verbally harassed the woman and followed her to the bus. He was later identified as a worker from Dakahlia Governorate and was arrested, although he denied the accusations during his investigation.
In response to the ruling, Shawqi said in a tweet on TikTok: video The footage she recorded clearly documents the incident, adding that she stands by her story and rejects allegations that the events did not happen as described.
The case was then referred for urgent criminal trial, and the first hearing was held in March.
The incident sparked widespread controversy in Egypt after the video received significant attention online, with many raising concerns about bystander inaction and the normalization of harassment.