Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

Human Rights Monitor (HRM) submitted a complaint to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention regarding the arrest of a mother and three of her children from their house at dawn.

On 1 January 2014, at 3:00am, security forces in uniform raided the house of Mrs El-Shamy and arrested her along with three of her children without an arrest warrant being shown. They were all taken to New Cairo II Police Station where they were interrogated. The three children were released next day in the afternoon after interrogation, while Mrs El-Shamy remained in detention at the police station after the police interrogated her. On Friday 3 January 2014, she was interrogated by prosecution at the police station and charged with affiliating with a banned group, inciting riots and protests and writing on the walls of buildings and school. The prosecution ordered her detention pending investigation for further 15 days. They confiscated her mobile and her daughter’s laptop. Mrs El-Shamy remained in detention pending investigations. On 17 January 2014 the prosecution, again, ordered her detention pending investigations for another 15 days.

Mrs El-Shamy's lawyer appealed against the decision of the prosecution. However, his appeal was rejected.

Mrs El-Shamy remained in the New Cairo II Police Station since her arrest on 1 January 2014 until 23 January 2014 when the prosecution ordered her transfer to Al-Qanater Prison, where she remains in detention to date.

On 9 February 2014, the prosecution renewed her detention pending investigations for a further 15 days.

Mrs El-Shamy’s children were able to visit her 4 times for 5 minutes in each visit since her arrest. Their last visit was on 6 February 2014. Mrs El-Shamy’s children stated that their mother’s heath has seriously deteriorated since she was arrested as she suffers diabetes and other diseases.

Her family is affected by her absence, as she is the only breadwinner and caretaker of the family, because she was divorced from her husband.


HRM expresses  concerns for Mrs El-Shamy’s physical safety, as she is at high risk of torture and/or ill-treatment while detained, especially as she is being held with criminal detainees; and calls for the immediate release of Mrs El-Shamy.