ALBAWABA - In France, Egyptian scholar Reem Hamed died suddenly, generating social media and search engine interest. She died under mysterious circumstances after posting on Facebook days earlier about being intimidated, harassed, and spied on by people she assumed were from her employment.
Egyptian 29-year-old Ph.D. researcher Reem Hamed was committed. She graduated from Cairo University with a biotechnology-focused bachelor of agriculture in 2017. She lived in Les Ulis, France, and worked at the University of Paris-Saclay's Institute of Integrative Biology of the Cell. Paris-Saclay awarded her a genetics master's.
Reem went to France for her biotechnology and genetics PhD. Her final academic years was plagued by harassment, including surveillance by unknown persons. She alleged bullying, prejudice, and racism in deleted posts about orchestrated hacking of her devices.
Reem said she barely evaded an assassination attempt by a neighbor in her university dormitory in one post. The neighbor reportedly poured toxic chemicals under Reem's apartment door, causing respiratory problems and an accelerated heart rate.
Just days after her worrisome tweets, Reem was discovered dead outside her apartment on Thursday, August 22, 2024, under unknown circumstances.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed its active inquiry monitoring. The Egyptian embassy in Paris has been in contact with French authorities since learning of Reem's death to determine the reason. The consulate also wants the probe results quickly.
Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration and Expatriate Affairs, Dr. Badr Abdel Aty, stressed the significance of the Egyptian embassy in Paris closely following investigations with French authorities. He also called for Reem's body to be returned to Egypt quickly.
A hashtag called "Justice for Reem Hamed," which connected her killing to the 1952 assassination of Egyptian scientist Samira Moussa, has circulated on social media during the inquiry.
These statements have not been validated by Reem's relatives. Her brother confirmed on Facebook that France is investigating her death. He warned against spreading lies that might hurt Reem's case and disrupt the probe.
In a subsequent tweet, Reem's brother confirmed that the family is in frequent communication with French authorities to follow the inquiry and with Egyptian officials to repatriate her remains.
