Baltagiya
Egyptian slang for hired thugs
Summary
Baltagiya or Baltageya is an Egyptian slang word that generally means "goons", "thugs", "gangsters" or "criminals", who are hired to attack the political opposition or civic protesters. Meanwhile, "Baltaga" , that etymologically derives from the Turkish word "baltacı" signifying an axeman, means doing harm or participating in collusion against someone or some people. Nonpolitical Baltagiya gangs appeared in Egypt in the 1980s; in the 1990s the Egyptian police decided to hire them, "outsourcing coercion to these Baltagiya, paying them well and training them to use sexualized brutality in order to punish and deter female protesters and male detainees, alike".
Originally created by ARG1900
2/3/2012, 2:01:38 PM
Modified
4/6/2026, 4:43:40 AM
Recent revisions
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/* See also */
added [[Category:Counter-revolutionaries]] using [[WP:HC|HotCat]]
Removing [[:c:File:Baltagya_attacking_protesters.jpg|Baltagya_attacking_protesters.jpg]]; it has been deleted from Commons by [[:c:User:Infrogmation|Infrogmation]] because: per [[:c:Commons:Deletion requests/Files uploaded by Shetos123|]].
Removing [[:c:File:Camel_rider_attacking_protesters_in_Egypt.jpg|Camel_rider_attacking_protesters_in_Egypt.jpg]]; it has been deleted from Commons by [[:c:User:Infrogmation|Infrogmation]] because: per [[:c:Commons:Deletion requests/Files uploaded by Sheto
Altered pages. Formatted [[WP:ENDASH|dashes]]. | [[:en:WP:UCB|Use this bot]]. [[:en:WP:DBUG|Report bugs]]. | Suggested by Abductive | [[Category:Street gangs]] | #UCB_Category 52/115
Removing [[:c:File:Sabry_Nakhnoukh.jpg|Sabry_Nakhnoukh.jpg]]; it has been deleted from Commons by [[:c:User:Ziv|Ziv]] because: [[:c:COM:L|Copyright violation]]: https://www.youm7.com/story/2018/4/13/%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88-%D8%B4%D8%B1
/* Notable Baltagiya */
/* The notorious auxiliary camel riders */
/* Notable Baltagiya */
/* Notable Baltagiya */
/* Notable Baltagiya */
source
Citation of Muslim Brotherhood-linked propaganda outlets like New Arab and Rassd completely strips away credibility given their explicit bias against the current Egyptian government which is known to everybody.
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