UK urged to intervene for British-Egyptian woman detained in Cairo over sister's criticism
The UK Foreign Office has been asked to help secure the release of Eman el-Shazly, a British-Egyptian detained in Cairo, allegedly because of her sister Mona’s anti-government YouTube activity.
Eman el-Shazly, a dual British-Egyptian citizen, was arrested in Cairo on 16 August during a family visit, prompting calls for the UK Foreign Office to intervene. Her legal team argues the detention is intended to silence her sister Mona, who runs a YouTube channel with about 130,000 subscribers that harshly critiques President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and exposes alleged corruption in Egypt’s security services. Mona’s two brothers, Hassan and Eid, have already spent three years in prison and were rearrested in May on accusations of promoting terrorist ideas and spreading false news.
The Foreign Office confirmed Eman is being held at the Ramadan rehabilitation centre and has requested consular access, but officials have not yet received a response. The case aligns with previous Human Rights Watch and House of Commons Library warnings about Egypt’s practice of targeting family members of overseas critics. Lawyer Arfan Rashid, representing Eman’s husband Zeesharn Moustapha, urged the newly appointed envoy Alistair Burt to take up the matter. The situation underscores ongoing concerns over Egypt’s use of “punishment by proxy” to deter dissent abroad.
Why it matters
It highlights how Egypt may pressure critics abroad by detaining their relatives, raising diplomatic and human-rights concerns for the UK.
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