Counselor Hishām Badawī, First Attorney General for the Supreme State Security Prosecution, ordered on Tuesday (June 21, 2011) the release of 'Abīr Fakhrī, the woman who sparked the sectarian unrest in the impoverished district of Imbābah.
Security authorities had arrested Fakhrī, who was referred to public prosecution and later on to the military prosecution, where she was kept under a 15-day investigative custody.
Fakhrī, known as Asmā' after she converted to Islam, was the focal point of the Imbābah clashes between Muslims and Christians in early May 2011, which left 12 people killed and 52 others injured.
About 48 persons were referred to the criminal court on charges of assembly, premeditated murder with malice aforethought, attempted murder, undermining public security, arson of the Virgin Mary Church and possession of unlicensed arms and munitions with the intention of carrying out terrorist acts.
