Eman Elshazly, a 45-year-old British mum from Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, has been detained in Egypt for nearly two weeks. Her family believes she is being used as a bargaining chip to silence her sister, a Birmingham-based critic of the authoritarian regime with a large YouTube following.
Elshazly was taken during a raid on her mother's home in Cairo earlier this month. She had left the UK two months ago to care for her ill mother after her two brothers were arrested. Her husband, Zeesharn Moustapha, told BirminghamLive that the family believes the authorities are using her to pressure her sister to stop speaking out.
Moustapha said Elshazly is being held at the 10th Ramadan Rehabilitation Centre. The family has not heard from her since August 17, when she reportedly screamed 'they're going to take me' before the phone cut off.
Family fears over detention
Moustapha described the raid on his mother-in-law's home, saying: "The intelligence service ram-raided the house and broke anything that could be broken. They threatened my wife, they threatened my mother-in-law, saying 'you need to tell your sister to stop'."
He added: "The next day, she called saying 'the door is being smashed down' and then screaming 'they're going to take me', the phone abruptly cut off and we haven't heard from her since."
Moustapha also claimed that another of his wife's sisters was detained the following day, meaning four siblings are now held. Elshazly is the only British national among them.
Legal and consular efforts
The family has engaged a solicitor and urged the Foreign Office to intervene. Moustapha expressed doubt about consular access, saying: "They're not going to let a British representative enter that prison, it's a hellhole. I can't see that happening. Obviously they haven't visited her."
He added: "The UK law is that when a British national is detained they have to do a welfare check. We haven't heard from her."
Eman's lawyer, Arfan Rashid of Birmingham firm Rashid Law, said there is "ample evidence" that Elshazly was arrested "to silence" her sister. A GoFundMe appeal has been launched to raise money for legal representation, with a target of £9,000.
Family seeks support
Rashid said: "Eman's family is deeply concerned about her safety and wellbeing and is urgently seeking legal and consular assistance to establish her whereabouts, protect her rights, and work towards securing her release and safe return home."
He added: "This is an incredibly distressing time for Eman's loved ones. Every day that passes without clear information about her situation brings further fear and uncertainty. We are asking friends, family, the British-Egyptian community, and anyone who believes in the importance of justice and human rights to stand with Eman and her family. We are simply asking for Eman's safety, her rights to be respected, and her safe return home."
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British national detained in Egypt and are in contact with the authorities."
