SOLIDARITY IN THE FACE OF REPRESSION
“I don’t understand why all this is happening to me, why I am being tormented and my body can no longer bear it.”
- Oqba Hashad
Oqba Hashad is a 27-year-old business student whose life has been torn apart simply because his brother is a human rights activist. For nearly five years, Oqba has been held in unlawful pre-trial detention in Egypt, subjected to torture and cruel treatment.
Oqba’s right leg was amputated above the knee after a childhood accident. Now, prison authorities are cruelly denying him a working prosthetic leg. This means he can’t carry out basic daily tasks without help and is forced to hop on one leg during court appearances.
Despite a court ordering his release, Oqba remains in detention. The authorities are using a tactic called “rotation”, adding new, baseless charges to keep him imprisoned indefinitely.
Oqba’s story is a stark reminder of how repressive governments will stop at nothing to silence opposition – even punishing innocent family members.
Demand Oqba’s immediate release and show that love is stronger than the Egyptian government’s fear tactics.
SOLIDARITY IN THE FACE OF REPRESSION
In the past 12 months, your support has achieved incredible wins in individuals at risk cases we were told were 'hopeless'.
- October 2024: Dr. Khaled Al Serr was working at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis when he was taken by Israeli forces, along with other healthcare workers. He was held in conditions that constitute enforced disappearance, a crime under international law. Dr Khaled’s family only received scraps of information from his colleagues and released detainees, including one person who reported that he was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. Only this month, Khaled was freed from Israeli detention after spending more than six months without charges or trial.
- June 2024: Rita Karasartova and 26 others were arrested for peacefully protesting in Kyrgyzstan. Rita was charged with attempting to “violently overthrow the government”, facing up to 15 years in prison. Hundreds of thousands of supporters worldwide took action demanding justice and Rita and all other defendants were acquitted.
- February 2023: Yasaman Aryiani and Monireh Arabshahi received 16-year sentences for peacefully protesting Iran’s forced veiling laws. Their arrest and harsh sentencing for this peaceful act sparked global outrage. An incredible 100,000 supporters in Australia and 1.1 million people worldwide demanded their freedom, helping lead to their release.
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