The trial of Omnia Swedan, a doctor whose testimony on obstetric obstetric violence sparked public debate, has been postponed to July 4. Swedan faces charges of spreading false news after recounting cases of systematic abuse of women by medical staff during childbirth, which she said she witnessed while interning at El-Shatby Hospital.
The court adjourned the hearing to allow the defense more time to review the case file, according to human rights lawyer Khaled Ali, a member of Swedan’s defense team. Ali told Al Manassa that the session lasted only a few minutes before the court granted the request.
Outside the courthouse on Saturday, the scene was quiet. There were no solidarity demonstrations or visible security reinforcements, despite the public backlash that followed Swedan’s arrest and referral to trial over her testimony.
Human rights defenders raised concerns about Swedan’s “persecution and targeting” in a joint solidarity statement on June 17, saying it reflects a “broader climate women face when speaking about or reporting experiences of violence,” where survivors or witnesses are repeatedly discredited and stigmatized.
Swedan was accused of spreading false information and using an electronic account to commit the alleged offense after the legal affairs department of Alexandria University Hospitals, the administrative authority overseeing university hospitals, including El-Shatby, filed a complaint against her.
Her testimony about abuses in the hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology department drew wide attention online, prompting other women to share accounts of mistreatment in medical settings and intensifying public debate over the issues she raised.
Defense lawyer Mohamed Ramadan said on Friday that a woman accused El-Shatby University Hospital of causing her permanent disability after a hysterectomy in which both ureters were severed and her bladder perforated. The complaint led to legal proceedings against the university president and four surgeons, he stated in a Facebook post.
Swedan was arrested from her home in Damanhour, Beheira governorate, and was released last week on a 20,000 Egyptian pounds bail pending investigations.
