Fears are escalating for Eman el-Shazly, a 45-year-old British mother of four, who is reportedly being held in an Egyptian prison on charges her family claims are fabricated to silence her sister's activism.
El-Shazly was taken from her mother's home in Cairo in the early hours of August 17. Her husband, Zeesharn Moustapha, stated that Egyptian authorities had warned her to tell her sister to cease her online criticism of the Egyptian government just 24 hours prior to the arrest. Security forces have also detained El-Shazly's two brothers and another sister on what her lawyer described as trumped-up charges.
Moustapha has appealed to the British government for intervention, citing a worsening of El-Shazly's condition in detention. She had traveled to Cairo to care for her ailing mother. According to Moustapha, security forces 'ram-raided' the home on August 16, damaging property before returning the following day to arrest El-Shazly.
Visitors reported that El-Shazly and her detained sister appeared physically and psychologically distressed during a brief 15-minute visit on September 2. Relatives observed officers taunting and physically confronting the women, allegedly asking if the sister would stop her activism. Moustapha described both women as appearing to be "a broken person," having lost significant weight and not eating properly.
El-Shazly's mother now has four children in detention at the 10th Ramadan Rehabilitation Centre. Moustapha expressed concern about traveling to Egypt himself due to the attention surrounding the case.
Egyptian authorities accuse El-Shazly of using social media to promote a terrorist organization and spreading false information detrimental to public order. Her UK lawyer, Arfan Rashid, stated that there is no evidence of specific publications by El-Shazly or personal promotion of any organization, calling the charges "punishment by proxy."
El-Shazly's detention was extended for an additional 15 days on August 30, and she has reportedly been denied private meetings with her lawyer, with all communication occurring via video link in the presence of a prosecutor. The family and their lawyers believe El-Shazly's detention is directly linked to the political activities of her sister residing in Britain.
Moustapha characterized the situation as "illegal collective punishment" and is focused on securing British government intervention. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office stated it is supporting the family of a British national detained in Egypt and is in contact with Egyptian authorities. The British government's travel advice for Egypt warns that individuals engaging in activities deemed a risk to national security by Egyptian authorities can face arrest and detention, and that authorities monitor press and social media closely.