Egyptian party mogul Ahmed Ganzoury linked to gang rape case
In July, allegations emerged that an 18-year-old woman was drugged and gang raped on the night of one of Ganzury’s events in 2014. The party, which featured Dutch DJ Joris Voorn and took place at Cairo’s Fairmont Nile City hotel (pictured right), was hosted by Ganzoury’s company, but the crime occurred at a private afterparty in the hotel that wasn’t affiliated with Ganzoury, according to independent news site Egyptian Streets. The incident, which is currently being investigated by Egypt’s Prosecutor General, was initially reported by Assault Police, an Instagram account dedicated to helping victims of sexual violence. Unmarried Egyptians of different genders are not legally allowed to rent hotel rooms and the Fairmont Nile City has since pledged to assist authorities on the case.
In August, several people, including the well-known entertainment magnate Ganzoury, were arrested and detained, news agencies reported. However, the exact nature of Ganzoury’s charges remain unclear. A person with knowledge of the matter told Human Rights Watch (HRW) that the rape survivor did not accuse Ganzoury of any wrongdoing. HRW also noted that several websites have launched a smear campaign against Ganzoury “based on his perceived sexual orientation.”
According to a September article from the Middle East Eye that cited Ganzoury’s relatives, the businessman is not one of the accused rapists but rather a witness who was arrested in his house. “He was kidnapped and we have not been able to provide him with legal assistance nor [coronavirus] face masks and sanitisers,” a relative of Ganzoury told the Middle East Eye.
Ganzoury is also excluded from a list of six perpetrators that’s been widely circulated on social media. Pictures and names of the men, who hail from wealthy families, have flooded Twitter under the hashtag “#FairmontIncident” in recent months.
Ganzoury’s company, byGanz, has not yet responded to Resident Advisor‘s request for comment. byGanz is a big player in Egypt’s commercial electronic music scene, and it has put together festivals such as K, Bye! and 2nd Sun.
The Fairmont news comes amid a sweeping movement for sexual justice in Cairo that’s been described as Egypt’s “Me Too” moment. Many initially welcomed the government’s swift action on the case but the official investigation has been marred by reports of Egyptian authorities acting unethically and abusively.
