Eman el-Shazly, a British mother of four, has been held in a high-security prison in Egypt for nearly two months, prompting her husband, Zesharn Moustapha, to ask the UK government to help secure her release. Eman, 45, was detained by Egyptian security forces on 17 August while visiting her mother in Cairo, according to her husband. The family says that officers damaged their property and told them to pressure Eman’s activist sister, Mona, to stop criticizing the Egyptian government. Security forces reportedly returned the next day to take Eman and her sister, Shaema, into custody. Moustapha said he last heard Eman say, “They’re going to take me,” before the phone call ended. Since then, the family has had no contact with Eman and claims she has been denied access to a lawyer. They are unaware of her health or condition and are deeply worried about her welfare. They believe her detention is connected to social media posts made by her sister Mona, which criticize the Egyptian government. Moustapha said Eman is being subjected to a “kangaroo court” and is afraid for her safety. Last week, the family started a petition to “bring Eman home” and asked Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to step in. Eman and Moustapha have four children, including three sons aged 18, 16, and nine, and a 14-year-old daughter. The children have been “traumatised” by the situation, with one son’s 10th birthday being especially difficult without their mother. Moustapha noted that Eman’s brothers were previously arrested on similar charges and held in pre-trial detention for about three years before the charges were dropped. They were re-arrested in May on accusations of “promoting the ideas of a terrorist organisation on social media” and “spreading false news harmful to state security.” The family is worried that Eman could face the same fate. Moustapha has urged the prime minister to take direct action, saying the arrests violate human rights and have no legal basis. He emphasized that Eman is a British citizen and mother of four who is “completely innocent.” He also expressed concern for one of Eman’s brothers, who has been denied medical care and is unwell in custody. Mona el-Shazly, Eman’s sister, said she refuses to stop speaking out despite the treatment of her siblings and the impact on her family. She argued that giving in to intimidation would allow fear to control who can speak freely. She emphasized that stopping now would set a dangerous precedent, letting an authoritarian regime silence criticism by taking family members hostage. She said her duty is to speak truthfully about corruption and abuse and to demand the unconditional release of her family members. Ayoub Khan, MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said the local community is “distraught” by Eman’s continued detention, as she has been separated from her loved ones for two months. He said no one deserves to lose their freedom for someone else’s lawful criticism of injustice and pledged to continue working with Eman’s legal team and pushing both the British and Egyptian governments for her immediate release. Arfan Rashid, a lawyer representing Moustapha, said that the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) informed them on 15 September that Egyptian authorities accuse Eman of joining and funding a terrorist organisation, using social media to spread false news, and calling for demonstrations. Eman denies these allegations, and her Egyptian lawyer has been given no evidence to support them. The family is deeply concerned about the connection between Eman’s detention and her sister Mona’s criticism of the Egyptian government. A British government report published in March 2026 mentioned the “targeting, arrest, and harassment of family members of government critics, journalists, and human rights activists living abroad.” The FCDO stated it is supporting the family of a British national detained in Egypt and is in contact with the authorities. The Independent has contacted the Egyptian embassy and No 10 for comment.