Egyptian court ends virginity tests in military jails

A Cairo court has directed enforced virginity checks on female prisoners in military jails to be ended.

The court made the verdict after a case was conveyed by protester Samira Ibrahim.

She blamed that the Egyptian military of forcing her to suffer virginity test after she was detained during a demonstration in Tahrir Square in March.

Human rights groups say the Egyptian army has utilized the practice extensively as a penalty.

"The court orders that the implementation of the process of virginity tests on girls inside armed jails be suspended," judge Aly Fekry, head of Cairo administrative court said, according to Reuters.

The decision was welcomed by applauds from hundreds of protestors inside the courtroom.

Activists had claimed that the authorities put on trial to anyone responsible for subjecting demonstration to such checks.

Past this year, an Egyptian general was referred as admitting that the military had done such tests, saying that they were utilized so women would not later maintain they had been raped by officials.

Human rights organizations say such tests are a humiliating form of violence and the general's validation a legal illogicality.