{"id":11056,"date":"2026-06-04T09:51:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecwronline.org\/?p=11056"},"modified":"2026-06-04T10:18:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T10:18:37","slug":"digital-defamation-campaigns-a-weapon-to-intimidate-and-silence-womens-rights-defenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecwronline.org\/?p=11056","title":{"rendered":"Digital Defamation Campaigns: A Weapon to Intimidate and Silence Women’s Rights Defenders"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”” el_class=”force-left “]Cairo \u2013 June 4, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR) expresses its strongest condemnation and absolute rejection of the systematic campaign of defamation, abuse, and incitement targeted against Ms. Nehad Abol Komsan\u2014Chairperson of the Board, Attorney at the Court of Cassation, and Gender and Development Expert\u2014across social media platforms. This campaign follows the circulation of materials and recordings that promoters claim are attributed to her, accompanied by a blatant violation of her right to privacy and human dignity.<\/p>\n

ECWR emphasizes that this unacceptable targeting does not merely affect the organization’s director personally or professionally. Rather, it fundamentally represents a grave violation of human rights principles in general, and the rights of women and women’s rights defenders in particular. Attempts to intimidate women participating in the public sphere through digital violence and personal character assassination have become a recurring tool aimed at silencing voices and excluding women from exercising their societal and legal roles. This poses a real threat to the safety of the public sphere and the rule of law.<\/p>\n

Differences in opinion or public stances can under no circumstances justify the use of alleged, leaked, or taken-out-of-context materials as a tool to undermine the dignity of individuals. Legitimate debates must remain governed by a framework of responsible dialogue and the constitutional and legal mechanisms that guarantee the protection of citizens’ private lives.<\/p>\n

In the context of this widespread societal and human rights rejection of such practices, ECWR takes immense pride in the tremendous support and solidarity shown for this principled stance against defamation. To date, fifty (50) feminist, human rights, and development organizations and initiatives have declared their full solidarity. Additionally, forty-four (44) public figures, lawyers, human rights experts, and academics have joined by signing the joint solidarity statement to safeguard the values of justice and human rights principles.<\/p>\n

Accordingly, ECWR demands the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n