The UK Foreign Office is being urged to intervene in the case of a British-Egyptian woman who lawyers claim has been arrested in Cairo in an effort to silence her sister's political activism. Eman el-Shazly, 45, from Birmingham, was detained on August 16 while visiting Egypt.

Her lawyers allege that her arrest is intended to pressure her sister, Mona, who is a vocal critic of the Egyptian government and President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, operating a YouTube channel from the UK. This tactic, of detaining relatives of dissidents, has been previously alleged against the Egyptian government as a means of indirect pressure on those critical of the regime.

El-Shazly's two brothers, Hassan and Eid, have also been jailed and rearrested. They are facing charges related to promoting terrorist organization ideas on social media and broadcasting false news harmful to state security. The UK Foreign Office has confirmed to El-Shazly's husband that she is being held at the Ramadan rehabilitation centre and that her case shares the same file number as her brothers'.

The implications of El-Shazly's arrest extend to the ongoing concerns about human rights and political dissent within Egypt. The government's alleged practice of targeting family members of critics highlights the sensitive nature of political discourse and the risks faced by those who speak out against the regime, even from abroad.

According to Arfan Rashid, the lawyer representing El-Shazly's husband, El-Shazly herself has no involvement in politics. He stated that she traveled to Cairo two months prior to her arrest to care for her ill mother, particularly after her brothers were detained. Rashid asserted that there is significant evidence suggesting Eman's detention is a direct attempt to silence Mona.

El-Shazly reportedly informed security officials that she was no longer in contact with her sister. She also indicated that other family members had urged her to cease her political activities in the UK, but she had not complied. Mona el-Shazly confirmed to The Guardian that she had been requested by family members to halt her activism.

Mona el-Shazly's activism frequently addresses alleged corruption within Egypt's security services and public utilities, topics considered highly sensitive by the authorities. The detention of relatives, as alleged in this case, appears to be a strategy employed to curb such criticisms.

Eman el-Shazly has four children, and her husband is seeking her release. The case underscores the complex challenges faced by families with members involved in political dissent, particularly when they have dual nationalities and are visiting or residing in Egypt.