Egyptian Businessman Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Human Trafficking

Egyptian businessman, Mohamed Al-Amin. (Facebook)
Egyptian businessman, Mohamed Al-Amin. (Facebook)
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Egyptian Businessman Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Human Trafficking

Egyptian businessman, Mohamed Al-Amin. (Facebook)
Egyptian businessman, Mohamed Al-Amin. (Facebook)

The Cairo Criminal Court sentenced on Monday renowned Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Amin to three years in prison and fined him 200,000 Egyptian pounds after finding him guilty of human trafficking.

His case was exposed in January while his first trial was in March.

Al-Amin is a media and real estate tycoon who owned and managed several television channels and newspapers in Egypt.

The prosecution had referred Al-Amin’s case to the criminal court last February. It found him guilty of human trafficking when he exploited seven girls at an orphanage he founded in the southern Beni Suef province and of sexually assaulting the victims and threatening them with violence.

The referral came after hearing the testimonies of 13 eyewitnesses, the confessions of the victims, the examination of the defendant’s mobile phone, the Forensic Authority’s reports, the National Council of Childhood and Motherhood and the physiological and social research department at the Ministry of Social Solidarity.

The prosecutor-general’s office said in a statement that Al-Amin housed the victims in the orphanage for the purpose of sexually abusing them.

During the investigations, the exploited girls testified against Al-Amin.

Evidence collected from the his mobile phone contained a number of photos of the victims that revealed he was with them and proved he frequently visited the orphanage.

The owner of the Facebook page Atfal Mafqooda (Lost Children) had presented evidence, releasing a recording of one of the girls describing the abuse she endured.

The Ministry of Social Solidarity intervened in the case, pledging to respond with full force to any violations at social welfare institutions.

The Ministry said it will not hesitate in referring such cases immediately to the Public Prosecution for necessary action against the perpetrators, regardless of their positions.



Syria to Take Time Organizing National Dialogue, Foreign Minister Says

 Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
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Syria to Take Time Organizing National Dialogue, Foreign Minister Says

 Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)

Syria will take its time to organize a landmark national dialogue conference to ensure that the preparations include all segments of Syrian society, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said on Tuesday, according to state media.

The conference is meant to bring together Syrians from across society to chart a new path for the nation after opposition factions ousted autocratic President Bashar al-Assad. Assad, whose family had ruled Syria for 54 years, fled to Russia.

"We will take our time with the national dialogue conference to have the opportunity to form a preparatory committee that can accommodate the comprehensive representation of Syria from all segments and governments," Shibani said.

Diplomats and visiting envoys had in recent days told Syria's new rulers it would be better not to rush the conference to improve its chances of success, rather than yield mixed results, two diplomats said.

The new government has not yet decided on a date for the conference, sources previously told Reuters, and several members of opposition groups have recently said that they had not received invitations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday time was needed for Syria to pick itself up again and rebuild following Assad's overthrow, and that the damage to infrastructure from 13 years of civil war looked worse than anticipated.

Since Assad's fall on Dec. 8, Türkiye has repeatedly said it would provide any help needed to help its neighbor rebuild, and has sent its foreign minister, intelligence chief, and an energy ministry delegation to discuss providing it with electricity.

Türkiye shares a 911-km (565-mile) border with Syria and has carried out several cross-border incursions against Kurdish YPG militants it views as terrorists.