Stratford on Avon Amnesty group has been supporting Egyptian human rights worker Azza Soliman with cards sent both to her and to President Sisi. We have heard that sadly, her appeal hearing against her travel ban, listed this week, has been postponed. This was not surprising since the Egyptian courts are semi-locked due to Covid-19. We imagine how deflated she must be feeling at this time. If you feel able to write a postcard of encouragement, we feel sure she would value it. Her address is: 19A Oboor Apartments, Salah Salem, Masr-el-Gedida, Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt.           

The case of Azza Soliman       Summary

1995   Set up Centre for Women’s Assistance in Cairo in a working class area, especially to help victims of rape and domestic violence.

2010  Co-founded Lawyers for Peace and Justice which provides legal assistance for victims of human rights violations.

2011  Witnessed a murder but was herself arrested when she went to report it to the police. Released but under surveillance.

2016   Charged by an investigative judge under Case 173 (which targets NGOs which receive foreign funding) with tax evasion, operating a civil society organisation without proper registration and slandering the image of Egypt by claiming that women in Egypt face rape.

November 2016  Stopped at Cairo airport as she was boarding a flight to Jordan to take part in a conference and informed that she was banned from travelling.

7 December 2016   Presented with an arrest warrant and taken to police station and then court for a day’s investigation and questioning before her release on bail.

14 December 2016  The assets of Lawyers for Peace and Justice and her own assets frozen by the same investigative judge.

Since    Under surveillance by Egyptian security organisations, and targeted by security forces and pro-government media through smear campaigns and constant harassment. TV anchors and newspapers have shown her photograph, labelling her as an enemy of the people. She is still at risk of 15 year imprisonment for her work as a human rights defender. Appeal against travel ban, due 23^rd April 2020, postponed due to Covid19.