The Egyptian government has expanded its crackdown on free expression to target YouTubers and social media influencers, particularly women, detaining and prosecuting several in recent weeks. 

In the last few years, numerous bloggers and activists in Egypt have been arrested for posts on social media while others languish in arbitrary detention for online activities, according to Refworld.

On May 22, Tik Tok star Mena Abdel Aziz shocked her followers by posting a video on her social media accounts with a bruised face, announcing that she had been beaten and sexually assaulted by a man named Mazen Ibrahim, who had appeared with her in previous videos using a different name.

Her revelation was met with mixed reactions on social media. Many users accused her of provoking the act of violence by dressing and dancing the way she does. Others sympathized with her and called for Ibrahim’s arrest. Two days later, Ibrahim was arrested. But Abdel Aziz later posted another video denying her previous accusation of sexual assault, insisting the incident was just “a spat between friends.”