Uber driver Mahmoud Hashem has been sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor for attempting to abduct a young woman, Habiaba El-Shamaa, who later died after jumping from his vehicle while it was moving on the outskirts of Cairo.
Hashem was found guilty of attempting kidnapping, possessing cannabis, and driving under the influence of narcotics. He was also ordered to pay a fine of 50,000 Egyptian pounds, and his driver’s license was revoked.
The incident led public figures and parliamentarians to question the measures taken by ride-sharing companies to vet drivers.
An Uber legal representative earlier said during interrogation that several women had reported the driver for committing irregularities while driving them, including sexual harassment, which led the company to terminate his account.
Investigations also revealed that he forged official identification papers to create a new account and resume working for the ride-hailing.
The victim’s family members, who appeared at the courthouse, declined to talk to reporters, while witnesses said the families of the victim and the driver engaged in a verbal argument before the trial, which was held under extreme security measures.
