British-Egyptian woman arrested in Cairo amid allegations of proxy punishment

Eman el-Shazly, a 45-year-old British-Egyptian woman living in Birmingham, was arrested in Cairo on August 16 while visiting family. Her lawyers and family allege that her detention is a form of ‘proxy punishment’ intended to silence her sister, Mona, who operates a YouTube channel with 130,000 subscribers that criticizes the Egyptian government and alleges corruption.

According to legal representatives, el-Shazly has not been involved in political activities and traveled to Egypt to care for her ailing mother following the arrests of her two brothers. The British Foreign Office has confirmed her detention at the Ramadan Rehabilitation Center and noted that her case file shares the same number as her detained brothers.

Human rights organizations and legal experts have previously warned that the Egyptian administration under President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has used the arrest of relatives to exert pressure on political dissidents living abroad. The family is now calling for urgent intervention from the British government to secure her release.