Khaberni - Egyptian blogger Basant Suleiman ended her life tragically, as she threw herself from the balcony of her apartment on the thirteenth floor in the Smouha area in Alexandria, during the end of a live broadcast she shared on her Facebook page that lasted about an hour, during which she spoke about psychological pressures, financial burdens, and accumulated family disputes.
Before the broadcast ended, Basant directed her final words to her followers and wrote in a post confirming her will "take care of the children" and "God is sufficient for me and the best trustee against those who wronged me," then she committed the act in front of hundreds of followers who monitored the incident moment by moment amid a general state of shock.
4 years of waiting.. then the courts.. then the custody apartment
This tragic moment was not born in a single day, as Basant herself revealed in previous television statements, the details of her long journey with separation.
The late blogger confirmed that she requested a divorce from the first year of marriage, stressing that the matter does not concern who is "bad" among the parties, but rather the absence of understanding and differences in thinking styles.
She continued to attempt an amicable settlement because of having two daughters, but her husband refused and traveled outside Egypt to an unknown destination, leaving her without an official divorce and without financial support for the children, while his family encouraged his stance, describing it as a way to pressure her.
Eventually, she resorted to the courts after 4 years, where a legal debate revolved around whether her case fell under "divorce for absence" or "divorce for abandonment", before she filed for Khul' (divorce initiated by the wife), and after this exhausting process, she found herself facing a new dispute over the custody apartment.
A few days before the incident, Basant posted on Facebook a post in which she revealed the long years she fought alone, going through courts and hospitals and raising her daughters, in addition to completing her university studies despite the death of her father, a fire at her home, and consecutive financial and health losses.
Minister of Social Solidarity: An alarm bell and a red line
Dr. Maya Morsi, Minister of Social Solidarity, commented on the incident on her official Facebook page, expressing "deep sorrow and grief", and emphasized that what happened is a "serious alarm bell" about the escalating psychological and social pressures that might drive some people to tragic ends.
The minister affirmed that the issue goes beyond a housing dispute to touch upon a deeper concept linked to human dignity and family stability, emphasizing that what is known as the "custody apartment" should remain a firm right for the children and not a battlefield, and that turning housing rights into a means of extortion or pressure is a "red line" due to the direct threat it poses to the mental stability of the children and mothers.
She called for strict legal deterrence against any abuse in the use of family rights, recalling similar incidents recently witnessed by society as an indication of the need for a comprehensive review of the mechanisms of dealing with family issues, and concluded by stating that enhancing the values of compassion and social cohesion represents the first line of defense against the recurrence of such tragedies.
The investigations summon the ex-husband and seize the phone
The Public Prosecution in Alexandria began extensive investigations into the incident, where Basant's ex-husband was summoned to hear his statements, while her mobile phone was seized as a key document in uncovering the circumstances of the event.
Her family members were also summoned to testify, and orders were given to expedite the necessary investigations around the incident.
The initial investigations indicated that Basant was going through an extended psychological crisis, amid a dispute with her ex-husband over the custody apartment, where she lived with her daughters.
