UK urged to intervene for British-Egyptian woman 'detained in Cairo over sister's activism'
A 45-year-old British-Egyptian woman from Birmingham, Eman el-Shazly, was arrested in Cairo on 16 August, with lawyers saying she is being held to pressure her sister Mona, a vocal critic of Egypt's government, into silence. The UK Foreign Office has been asked to intervene.
Eman el-Shazly, a 45-year-old British-Egyptian woman based in Birmingham, was arrested in Cairo on 16 August. Her lawyers say the arrest is an attempt to silence her sister Mona, who runs a UK-based YouTube channel harshly critical of the Egyptian government.
Eman's two brothers, Hassan and Eid, had already spent three years in jail on charges of promoting the ideas of a terrorist organisation on social media and broadcasting false news harmful to state security, and were rearrested in May. The UK Foreign Office has confirmed to Eman's husband that she is being held at the Ramadan rehabilitation centre, with her case given the same file number as her brothers'.
Allegations of 'punishment by proxy'
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi's government has faced repeated allegations that it arrests relatives of political critics to pressure them into ending overseas criticism of his rule or of state corruption. Much of Mona's activism focuses on alleged corruption within the security services and public utilities — a highly sensitive topic in Egypt.
Arfan Rashid, the lawyer representing Eman's husband, said that unlike Mona, Eman has never been involved in politics and had travelled to Cairo two months earlier to care for her ill mother following her brothers' arrest. Rashid said there is ample evidence Eman was arrested to silence Mona, who reportedly told security officials she was no longer in contact with her sister.
Mona confirmed to the Guardian that family members had asked her to stop her activism and remove her videos, but said she has broken no law and will not appear weak, describing the situation as traumatic given that around a dozen children are left without parents due to the arrests.
Rashid noted the UK government acknowledged the practice of 'punishment by proxy' in Egypt in a policy document published in March 2026. On X, Mona said as many as five family members have been detained or harassed, and said she would rather her family disown her than continue suffering because of her opposition to Sisi.
The UK's representation in Cairo has requested access to see Eman but has not yet received a positive response. Her lawyer has also asked whether Alistair Burt, the UK's newly appointed envoy for complex consular cases, should be asked to intervene.
