An Egyptian court sentenced a judge to death on Tuesday for murdering his wife, according to the judiciary, in the country’s third high-profile femicide case in two months.
The criminal court decided to “refer the judge who murdered TV presenter Shaimaa Gamal and his accomplice to Egypt’s Grand Mufti” — a standard procedure in death penalty cases.
The public prosecutor’s office announced last month that the judicial official in question, Ayman Haggag, and his accomplice, businessman Hussein al-Gharabli, had been charged with “premeditated murder” of his wife.
Gamal’s body was discovered in a remote villa in June, nearly three weeks after her husband reported her missing, thanks to a tip from Gharabli, who admitted to his involvement in the crime.
The next court hearing, when the Grand Mufti’s approval is expected, is scheduled for September 11.
Gamal’s murder is the third to have sparked outrage in the conservative North African country in recent months.
Nayera Ashraf, a college student, was stabbed to death on June 19 in Mansoura, north of Cairo, by a man whose advances she had turned down. A video of the attack went viral on social media.
Mohamed Adel was found guilty after confessing to the crime in court and sentenced to death in a highly publicized trial.
As a deterrent to others, the criminal court has ordered that his execution be broadcast live on television.
Earlier this month, a student identified only by her first name Salma was murdered in Zagazig, north of Cairo, under similar circumstances.
According to the prosecution, a man whose advances she had rejected “repeatedly stabbed her with a knife.”
In Egypt, patriarchal legislation and conservative interpretations of Islam have contributed to severely restricting women’s rights and fostering a culture of violence against women.
“Salma was murdered simply because she was born a woman in a misogynist society,” one social media user said, while others argued Salma was to blame for befriending her assailant.
“They will continue as long as there are sympathizers out there who make excuses for the perpetrators of these crimes,” said another.
According to a 2015 United Nations survey, nearly eight million Egyptian women were victims of violence committed by their partners or relatives, or by strangers in public places.
According to Amnesty International, the death penalty is the maximum penalty for murder in Egypt, which had the world’s third highest number of executions in 2021.
