Update 25 April: all the detainees have been released on bail, but the charges have not been dropped

On Tuesday 23 April, Egyptian security forces forcibly dispersed a protest in solidarity with the women of Gaza and Sudan, held outside the headquarters of the UN Women’s regional office in Maadi, Cairo. In the process, they reportedly arrested at least 19 individuals – including lawyers Ragia Omran and Mahienour el-Masry, journalist Rasha Azab and human rights advocate Lobna Darwish, as well as Hadeer Almahdawy, Asmaa Naeem, Farida al-Hefny, Eman Ouf, May al-Mahdy, Israa Youssef and Lina Aly. Those arrested have been taken to State Security Prosecution. We are alarmed to hear that a case (no. 1567/2024)  has been opened against them on charges of “joining a terrorist organisation” and “illegal assembly”. 

We call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release all those detained and to drop any charges against them. We also call on UN Women to immediately issue a statement condemning the arrests. We condemn the role of the Egyptian government in maintaining the siege of Gaza and fuelling the conflict in Sudan through its military and diplomatic support for the Sudanese Armed Forces. We demand that the British, EU and US governments end arms sales and diplomatic backing for Egypt’s brutal authoritarian regime. We salute all those who are standing in solidarity with people resisting war and genocide and speaking out against the complicity of our governments and international institutions. 

They cannot silence us!

University and College Workers 4 Palestine
MENA Solidarity Network
The Sudanese Lawyers Democratic Front
Media Workers 4 Palestine
Regional Centre for Development and Training (RCDCS)
Sudanese Journalists Forum
Sudanese Women’s Union
London Student Action for Palestine
The Arab Media Network for Crisis
Arab Coalition for Sudan
No to Women’s Oppression
Dorset Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Suffolk Unite Community
SE London SWP
Radical Change Forces’ Alliance
Sudanese Engineers Union in the UK
Sudanese Journalists Network

To add your name please use the form on University and College Workers 4 Palestine

Individual signatories include:

Alejandra Crosta UCU (UK) Member Aleks Palanac University of Leicester Member Alex Callinicos Emeritus Professor, King’s College London Amanda Skull Andi De Souza Amnesty International Anna Monro Cwtch Pals Annette Farrow Anthony Dooley Suffolk Unite Community Secretary ANTOINE HOLLARD Audrey Glover National Education Union Branch Membership Secretary Ayanna Barbara Labiejko UCU Member Barbara Sansome Unite the community Brandon Aslam Fox Leeds PSC Safeguarding Candy Udwin PCS union Carmel Cadden Caroline Grandmother Caroline Juler Former student at University College London Cecily Blyther UCU Petroc Chair Charlie Kimber Socialist Worker Editor Chris Breen NSWTF member Chris Cowell Christian Hogsbjerg University of Brighton UCU Treasurer Colin Crane National Education Union Colin Falconer ENSEMBLE! Mouvement pour une Alternative de Gauche Écologiste et Solidaire (France) Dave Greenhalf UCU David Paenson verdi DavidBuckley PSC & UNION Retired. Dr Anna Livingstone Retired hon Senior Lecturer Queen Mary University of London Branch officer treasurer Unite the Union Barts Health Dr David Glanz Trade Unionists for Palestine (Melbourne) Dr Fran Cetti Dr Michael Szpakowski UCU Dr Mike Healy Dr. Heinz Leitner Ed Harper Irish Farmers’ Association; People Before Profit; Branch Committee Member (IFA); Party Member (PBP). Edward John Davies North Devon Stand Up to Racism none Elizabeth Beckmann Erika Ann Laredo UCU/Leeds Beckett University Branch Secretary Francis Scott People Before Profit Ireland branch secretary Gary Ross Gavin Evans Geoff Taylor UCU (Southern retired branch) / TEFL Workers Union (IWW) George Arthur Barnsley TUC Secretary BTUC Ghazalah Kiani Guy Darrer Harold Shalet Public and Civil Service Union (PCS) Retired Helen Land Holly Hugh Revolutionary Communist Party Branch Secretary Ian Inch James Eaden Chesterfield and District Trades Union Council President James Gibson James Grealy N/A N/A Janet Evans Janet Shearer Select Jeandre C Journalist Jeannie Robinson UNITE THE UNION Regional Chair, Unite  Community Jen Thomas Individual Jennifer Lauren Martin Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford Jess Hope Amnesty Chair of local group Jess Spate Jim Nichol Retired solicitor Jo Terry Joan Quirke Joe Collins Teacher Citizen John Baker Jonathan Hall retired lecturer June Jones UNISON retired member Karen Johnson Katrina Mayer Laleh Khalili UCU Member Lawrence Rowland Lewis Turner Newcastle University Lecturer in International Politics Lucrezia Canzutti King’s College London Research Fellow Maggie Falshaw Maria Perez Marion Osborne Mark Gillespie Electrical Trades Union (Australia) Honorary member Mark LADBROOKE Socialist Health Association Chair Mark Sage UNISON Portsmouth City Branch Branch international officer Martin Franklin NUE Mike  Orr University of Glasgow Mr Mark T Sayers Sayers Unite community Ms Liz Thompson Unite Community Auditor Naomi Aisha Nasreen Ullah Neil Vince Unite the Union Member Nicole Klementik Ensemble!  Solidaires Retired Norman Biddlecombe Unite Oula Hope Paraskevas Psanis Parus Shah Pat Carmody Unite the Union Activist Patrick Gesnot Penny Foskett NEU International Officer Peter Marsden UNISON Former elected officer Peter Votsch Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Retirees Network CUPE Local 7797 – retired Vice-President Phil Hall Philip Windeatt SE London SWP Professor David Treece King’s College London Emeritus Professor Raoul Walawalker North Herts Ethnic Minority Forum Advocacy Officer Reape Mary Unite Community Rehana Begum Reyes Rhisiart ap Gwilym Rhys williams Richard Neuville ENSEMBLE ! France Robert Davies Robert Ferguson Dorset Palestine Solidarity Campaign Secretary Ron Tierney Rosemarie Wilson UCU Retired member Sajida Haverfordwest Mosque Trustee Sally Laver Retired Unison member N/A Sam Friedman Ukraine Samantha Bentley Samia University of the West of England UWE UNISON International Relations Officer Sandra Rowland Solidarity with Palestine Pembrokeshire Organiser Sandra Shepherd Sarah Cox NEU Retired member Sarah Davies Senior lecturer in midwifery, retired. (University of Salford) Sarah Lythgoe Sheila McGregor NEU Shelley Robinson Simon Hester Hastings & District Trades Union Council Chair Stella Ouriache Unison Stephen Brown Stephen Oren Stephen Thomas Steve Wilkins Medway Trades Union Council Secretary Surinder Kaur UNISON, University of Bristol International Officer Tara Mann London Student Action for Palestine (LSAP) Organiser Teo Guez University of Bristol Student Tessa Hope Tony Ormonde UNITE Tony Staunton UCU SWRMB Chair Vivi Whittingham Younès Rabii Queen Mary University of London