Authorities in Egypt arrested two men on Tuesday on suspicion of blackmailing a girl by posting altered images of her online, which resulted in her taking her life, police officials said.
The two men allegedly doctored social media photos of 17-year-old Bassant Khaled to make them appear as if she were naked after she rejected the advances of one of the two, according to police officials.
They said the pair had gone into hiding before they were located and arrested by the police. They are currently being questioned.
The incident in the Nile Delta province of Gharbuyah has triggered uproar on social media, with users in Egypt calling for the two men to be brought to justice.
The hashtag “Bassant Khaled’s right must be restored” has trended on Twitter in Egypt since Monday.
Blackmail and misuse of social media platforms are crimes in Egypt, punishable by prison for up to five years.
The girl had left a note for her mother, pleading with her not to believe the online images were of her, according to a copy of the note published by local news outlets.
“Mom, please understand, the girl in those pictures is not me. I swear, they are photo-shopped … Mom, I am a young girl and I don’t deserve all that’s happening to me,” it read.
“I am suffering from depression and I feel like I am suffocating. I am really tired. It’s not me. Show me mercy. You raised me well.”
Al Azhar, Egypt's highest Islamic authority and the world's foremost seat of learning for Sunni Muslims, expressed outrage over the incident in a statement issued on Monday.
It said Islam offered protection for people's reputation and prescribes a "grim fate and punishment" for those who seek to stain the reputation of others. "To falsely level accusations and lies against people is among the capital sins and mean crimes whose damage goes beyond individuals and societies," it said.
Officials said the young woman's family did not report the blackmail to authorities. The search for and arrest of the two men was carried out on the initiative of the Interior Ministry after reports of the suicide surfaced on social media.
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
