The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented the referral of translator and human rights defender Marwa Arafa to criminal trial after four grueling years of pretrial detention in Egypt.
Marwa was arrested from her home on April 20, 2020, and faced charges related to “spreading false news” and “misusing social media,” solely for showing solidarity with the families of detainees in Egypt. Her defense team views these charges as clear retaliation for her peaceful human rights activism.
Marwa continues to suffer from deteriorating health conditions in prison, facing harsh circumstances exacerbated by deliberate medical neglect. Additionally, she is denied access to her only daughter, who was just one and a half years old at the time of her arrest, adding to the human rights defender’s personal and humanitarian suffering.
The CFJ strongly rejects the referral of human rights defender Marwa Arafa to trial after four years of pretrial detention, two of which are considered illegal under Egyptian law, which stipulates that the maximum duration of pretrial detention is two years.
The CFJ demands her immediate release, emphasizing the illegality of her continued detention beyond the legally permissible maximum period.
The CFJ also warns that referring her to trial under these circumstances constitutes a blatant violation of human rights and national and international legal standards. If Egyptian authorities insist on proceeding with her trial, the committee calls for her to be brought before a court that adheres to internationally recognized fair trial standards, ensuring justice without bias or abuse.
The CFJ affirms that the continued arbitrary detention of Marwa not only violates the law but also reflects an increasingly restrictive approach by Egyptian authorities toward freedoms and the undermining of human rights defenders’ rights.