Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) vehemently denounces the arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of journalist Marwa Abu Zaid, the wife of political prisoner Abdul Rahman Dabi, by Egyptian authorities.
She was apprehended on February 1, 2025, at Cairo International Airport while preparing to embark on Umrah, without any legal justification. This egregious act represents a blatant violation of human rights and press freedom, forming part of a broader systematic crackdown on journalists and their families.
Reliable sources indicate that Marwa Abu Zaid was subjected to enforced disappearance for two days following her arrest before being transferred to the National Security Agency. Subsequently, she was presented before the State Security Prosecution, which arbitrarily ordered her pretrial detention for 15 days without specifying any charges. Such oppressive measures exemplify a concerted strategy to silence journalists, restrict media freedoms, and intimidate those who seek to expose human rights abuses.
WJWC unequivocally condemns the Egyptian authorities' relentless campaign against journalists and their families, utilizing coercion as a political tool. The employment of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and judicial harassment not only violates press freedom but also serves as a means to instill fear in those striving to unveil the truth. The organization demands the immediate cessation of these repressive actions and calls for the unconditional release of all unjustly detained journalists, ensuring their ability to operate in a secure and unrestricted environment in accordance with Egypt’s international human rights obligations.
Reports from WJWC and other human rights organizations affirm that Marwa Abu Zaid’s detention is not an isolated incident but rather part of an ongoing, systematic effort to suppress journalists, activists, and their families. This trend underscores an intensifying assault on freedom of expression and an attempt to stifle dissent through fear and intimidation. A recent Human Rights Watch report highlights that the Egyptian government continues to engage in arbitrary detentions, torture, and the misuse of pretrial detention as a tool of repression, in blatant defiance of international human rights agreements.
Furthermore, during the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on January 28, 2025, 137 nations issued over 370 recommendations urging the Egyptian government to halt arbitrary detentions and safeguard freedom of expression. Despite these international appeals, Egyptian authorities persist in escalating their crackdown on journalists, as evidenced by the unjust detention of Marwa Abu Zaid.
WJWC reaffirms that the systematic exploitation of pretrial detention to punish peaceful critics constitutes a severe infringement on fundamental human rights, including those enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This practice contravenes Article 9, which prohibits arbitrary detention, and Article 19, which guarantees freedom of expression, and fundamentally violates international fair trial standards. The organization expresses profound alarm over the Egyptian authorities’ continued neglect of their international obligations in this matter.
Women Journalists Without Chains urgently demands the immediate and unconditional release of journalist Marwa Abu Zaid and all individuals incarcerated on politically motivated charges. The organization further calls on Egyptian authorities to cease targeting journalists and ensure their protection from persecution and unlawful detention.
WJWC also urges the international community to escalate pressure on the Egyptian government to implement the recommendations of the UPR and to hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations against journalists. Failure to take decisive action risks enabling further crackdowns on press freedom and fundamental rights in Egypt.