Egypt: Compensation paid to familt of Shaimaa Al-Sabbagh

Over a decade after Shaimaa Al-Sabbagh was shot dead by police, Egypt has paid compensation to the poet and activist’s family.

Al-Sabbagh was killed as she laid a wreath in memory of slain demonstrators, the night before the fourth anniversary of Egypts January 25 uprising.

She had placed flowers at the memorial in Tahrir for the hundreds killed during demonstrations, when she was shot in the back with a type of pellet frequently used by police at the time to disperse protesters.

Subsequently her family became embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with the Interior Ministry.

According to their lawyer they received the compensation, which was around 300,000 Egyptian pounds, which is less than 6,000 US dollars, last week ,despite a court ordering it in 2023.

Following her death Sabbagh became a symbol of Egyptian activism.

In 2020, The officer responsible received a seven-year sentence.