A full year of imprisonment… for defending her husband
It has been nearly a full year since Mrs. Marwa Sami Abu Zaid (45 years old) has been imprisoned, after being arrested on January 19, 2025, at Cairo Airport while returning from performing Umrah, in an incident that clearly embodies the targeting of the relatives of detainees and punishing them for their humanitarian stances.
On January 21, 2025, Marwa was presented to the Supreme State Security Prosecution, which decided to detain her pending investigation in case number 7887 for the year 2024, concerning state security. She was charged with typical accusations of "joining a banned group, spreading false news, and financing."
Marwa has fully denied all the accusations, explaining that the real reason for her targeting is her peaceful demands for the release of her husband, Abdul Rahman Mohamed Hassan Dabi, who has been detained since April 2014, sentenced to life imprisonment, and held in New Valley Prison under harsh conditions, including solitary confinement and visitation bans.
Marwa was transferred to the Tenth of Ramadan Prison – Rehabilitation 4, and she remains in pretrial detention to this day, with her detention being periodically renewed, the latest being for 45 days, spending nearly a full year behind bars without trial, in a blatant violation of her right to freedom and a fair trial.
The continued imprisonment of Marwa Sami Abu Zaid constitutes collective punishment and a message of intimidation to anyone who demands rights for their relatives, reflecting a dangerous expansion in the use of pretrial detention as a tool of punishment rather than as an exceptional legal measure.
We demand:
The immediate and unconditional release of Marwa Sami Abu Zaid.
Stopping the targeting of the wives and families of detainees due to their peaceful stances.
Respect for guarantees of a fair trial and the rule of law.
#Al_Shehab_Human_Rights_Center
