A British national, Eman el-Shazly, has been detained in Egypt, prompting her lawyer to accuse Egyptian authorities of using her as leverage to silence her sister, a UK-based political activist. El-Shazly, a mother of four, is being held at the 10th Ramadan Rehabilitation Centre.
Her lawyer, Arfan Rashid of Rashid Law, stated that the charges against el-Shazly are fabricated and represent an attempt to pressure her sister. "In my opinion, there is ample and compelling evidence this is just punishment by proxy," Rashid said, adding that her detention is part of a pattern of pressure on her sister. He also noted that if el-Shazly had been a wanted individual, she likely would have been detained upon her arrival in Egypt.
El-Shazly's detention is reportedly linked to that of her brothers, Hassan and Eid, who were initially arrested in 2020 and spent nearly three years in pre-trial detention. They were re-arrested on May 19 and their detentions have been repeatedly extended. Their case file numbers are identical to Eman el-Shazly's, suggesting a connection in the allegations.
The activist sister, whose identity has not been released, told the BBC that she was aware her family was being detained as a tactic by the Egyptian government to silence critics. Despite this, she stated her resolve to continue posting videos, believing it is her duty to speak out. A UK government policy and information note on Egypt from March 2026 references reports of relatives of activists being targeted.
There has been no contact with Eman el-Shazly since her detention, according to her husband.