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Egypt releases transgender woman after 4 months in jail

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AP Cairo
Last Updated : Jul 17 2019 | 4:25 PM IST

An Egyptian rights group says authorities have released a transgender woman held for more than four months in connection to a call for protests.

The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms said late Tuesday that Malak el-Kashef was released earlier this week.

El-Kashef was among dozens arrested over calls for demonstrations following a Feb. 27 train crash in Cairo that killed at least 25 people.

Prosecutors say they suspect she belongs to an unnamed terrorist group, a reference to the banned Muslim Brotherhood.

The rights group says el-Kashef underwent a forced anal exam at a government hospital that amounted to torture and sexual harassment.

Egypt has waged a sweeping crackdown on dissent in recent years, targeting political critics as well as anyone believed to be gay or lesbian.

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First Published: Jul 17 2019 | 4:25 PM IST

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