Egypt arrests mother cited in BBC report; lawyer disappears

Oum Zubeida detained after accusing authorities of abducting, torturing her daughter; Ezzat Ghoneim, who reported arrest, is missing

By AP 2 March 2018, 3:09 pm

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A woman named Zubeida, whose mother accused the Egyptian authorities of abducting and torturing her, appears on Egyptian television on March 1, 2018. (Screen capture: YouTube)

CAIRO — A mother who in a BBC report that angered Egyptian authorities accused the police of torturing her daughter and being behind her disappearance has been arrested.

Also, a human rights lawyer who reported the woman’s arrest has gone missing.

Ezzat Ghoneim, of the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms, reported on social media that the woman known as Oum Zubeida had been arrested on Wednesday.

His organization now says Ghoneim himself disappeared on his way home on Thursday evening and has not been heard of since.

Both Ezzat’s and Oum Zubeida’s mobile phones are currently switched off.

The BBC report included interviews with activists and other individuals describing police abuses. It has dominated Egypt’s media over recent days, with pro-government commentators branding it as another attempt to defame the country.