“Tha’era”, a network of Arab women from Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia, issued a statement Tuesday in solidarity with Shaimaa Sabbagh, who was shot dead by police forces on the eve of 25 January 2015.
“She was, and still is, one of our members. She is not forgotten,” the statement read. “Shaimaa was a young Egyptian women activist who cared about justice and solidarity. She embodied the values of true Egyptians, was a good mother, and a good human being.”
Al-Sabbagh was shot during a limited march, carrying flowers to commemorate the martyrs of the 25 January Revolution back in 2011. Police forces had opened fire on Al-Sabbagh and her colleague in Talaat Harb Street near Tahrir Square.
The solidarity initiative, supported through the Twitter hashtag #Solidarity_with_Shaimaa comes as an appeals court overturned a 15-year strict prison term handed down to an officer from the Central Security Forces department, affiliated with the Egyptian Interior Ministry.
According to lawyer Ali Soliman, lawyer in the case, and member of the same political party to which Al-Sabbagh belonged – the Socialist Popular Alliance Party – told Daily News Egypt Wednesday that he was waiting to see the court details, which resulted in the acceptance of the convicted officer’s appeal, as he now awaits re-trial.
“We believe in the rule of law and respect the Egyptian Judiciary. We hope they will give this case the objectivity needed so that the rule of law prevails,” he said.
The Socialist Popular Alliance Party and “Tha’era” commented on the appeals’ court decision by mentioning the first verdict issued by the criminal court, indicting the policeman, established that he had intentionally shot Al-Sabbagh while intending to hurt the demonstrators. It was for that reason that he prepared with the necessary weapon, which he used to shoot the demonstrators, based on 22 eyewitnesses and 15 candid videos.
“We support Shaimaa’s lawyers in their quest for justice and launch a solidarity campaign with her to remind the public of what happened and how it happened,” Tha’era said.
