HELP FREE AMAL

UPDATE 22/05/19: This action is now closed, Amal Fathy has been released on probation, although she must report to a police station for 4 hours twice a week under the conditions of her release. We will continue to monitor her case, thank you to everyone who took action.

UPDATE 11/01/19: Amal Fathy is currently under house arrest as she was released on probation on 27 December 2018 in the second case, but could be arrested when reporting to the police station next time or when going to court for renewal. Please keep taking action.

Egypt has detained women’s rights defender Amal Fathy, after she posted a video on Facebook that criticised the government for failing to address sexual harassment.

Online trolls copied her video and posted them on Facebook and Twitter, along with gender-based insults, and called for her arrest.

On 11 May, police raided Amal Fathy’s home in the early hours of the morning and detained her, along with her husband and child.

While her family were released a few hours later, Amal remains in prison pending an investigation into charges including “publishing a video that includes false news that could harm public peace”.

Amal bravely spoke out against sexual harassment – even though she knew she risked being torn away from her family and imprisoned by her own government. Now it’s our turn to defend her.

We’ve made a difference for cases like this before – after six months of sustained public pressure, Egypt released blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad who had been imprisoned for insulting the army on Facebook.

Act now and call for Amal’s immediate release, and allow her to continue her important work in safety.

Sign the Petition

  Our Petition

 

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Human Rights
Ahmed Ihab Gamal-Eldin

Your Excellency/Deputy Assistant Minister,

I call on you to immediately and unconditionally release Amal Fathy as she is a prisoner of conscience. Amal Fathy simply posted a video on Facebook sharing her experience of sexual harassment – she should not be detained.

Egypt must recognise the legitimacy of the work of human rights defenders like Amal Fathy, and allow them to carry out their activities without any restrictions or fear of reprisals, as set out in the 1998 United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

Yours Sincerely,

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