Belly dancer says Egyptian ambassador attacked her - A case of extortion
Egypt-Israel, Judicial, 10/15/1997

The Israeli Ministry of Justice Wednesday announced that a complaint against Egyptian Ambassador to Israel, Mohammed Bassiouni, has been closed "due to lack of substantial evidence to proceed with legal procedures against him."

The complaint was filed with the police two months ago by an Israeli belly dancer who claimed that Bassyouni had tried to rape her. Instead, the police decided to proceed with the investigation and opened a file against both the belly dancer and a friend of hers. Both are now charged with extortion and blackmail.

The whole case was suppressed by the High Court which issued an order banning the publication of any details of the case until Wednesday afternoon. Immediately afterwards, Israel state-run radio station aired an interview with the belly dancer who claimed that Bassyouni had invited her last August 13 to the house of his friend, a surgeon who was out of the country. "He offered me presents. Leather bags, jewelry, shoes and lots of work offers with high class hotels but I refused to have sex with him. He insisted and when I refused, he was fumed and resorted to force," she said.

The Israeli police at first had faced a major dilemma because of Bassyouni's diplomatic immunity. Later, it was decided that police officers would visit him at his house in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, and collect his testimony. Bassyouni was questioned without warning, unlike the belly dancer and her friend who were warned that everything they would say would be used against them in a court of law.

Previous Stories:
  Egypt inaugurates a nuclear reactor in mid October   (10/11/1997)
  Update: Azam's Egyptian lawyer submits appeal   (10/9/1997)
  Egypt waits out Turkish-Israeli exercises   (10/1/1997)

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