On 4 August 2024, MENA Solidarity published an article, alongside a separate statement from leading British cartoonists, both demanding freedom for Ashraf Omar — a cartoonist, translator, musician, and political artist whose only “crime” is drawing what millions live every day. Ashraf’s case is not an isolated injustice; it is part of a systematic assault on freedom of expression, independent journalism, and working-class dissent in Egypt.

Since then, Ashraf’s ordeal has only deepened. His continued detention, now moving from prolonged pre-trial imprisonment to full criminal prosecution, is a stark reminder that authoritarianism does not merely silence voices — it seeks to break them.

Ashraf Omar was arrested in the early hours of 22 July 2024, when security forces in civilian clothing raided his home in Hadayek October. He was taken blindfolded, his laptop and phone confiscated, and disappeared for nearly 48 hours. When he finally appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution, he faced the familiar, worn-out repertoire of repression: accusations of spreading false news and joining a terrorist organisation.

His alleged offence was publishing political cartoons on Al-Manassa, a respected independent news platform. Like caricature everywhere in the world, Ashraf’s drawings criticised social and political realities. In Egypt, however, satire has become intolerable to power.

During his enforced disappearance and detention, Ashraf was subjected to torture, including electric shocks, according to his family and lawyers. Legal complaints were filed. No investigation followed. No accountability was imposed.

By May 2025, Ashraf had spent almost a full year in pre-trial detention. His birthday passed in a prison cell. His wife, Dr Nada Magheet, has carried the burden of this injustice with extraordinary dignity — organising visits, raising awareness, launching petitions, and refusing silence.

Her struggle is not just personal. It is political. As her father, Kamal Magheet, wrote in a public message on International Women’s Day, Nada has been forced to confront an entire state apparatus alone — one that ripped her partner from her life simply for expressing an opinion.

That burden extends beyond the family. Journalists who covered Ashraf’s case have themselves been targeted. Ahmed Serag, arrested after interviewing Nada Magheet, now faces similar charges. Repression, as ever, spreads outward — punishing not only dissent, but solidarity.

On 18 November, Ashraf was transferred without notice from Tenth of Ramadan Prison to the Supreme State Security Prosecution. Neither he nor his legal team were informed in advance. He was told he had been referred to trial — without being allowed to read the referral decision or fully understand the charges.

As his lawyer Khaled Ali confirmed on 22 November, Ashraf now faces trial before a criminal court in Case No. 1568 of 2024, accused of participating in a terrorist group to achieve its aims. This escalation marks a familiar pattern: when indefinite detention becomes politically costly, the state converts it into prosecution — without changing the substance of the injustice.

Ashraf Omar’s detention is not simply about one individual. It is about the criminalisation of art, satire, and independent thought. It is about a regime that fears cartoons because it fears the truth they expose.

For socialists, trade unionists, and defenders of democratic rights everywhere, Ashraf Omar’s struggle is the same fight for workers, artists, journalists, and activists who resist the dictates of authoritarian power and imperialist complicity. Solidarity with Omar is not charity; it is a recognition that the attack on one is an attack on all. His freedom is a demand for justice, not only in Egypt but in every society where repression threatens truth, creativity, and human dignity.

We must amplify his story, defend his right to express himself, and join the growing movement demanding his immediate release. We must recognise that the pen, the brush, and the cartoonist’s satire remain powerful weapons in the fight for justice

Ashraf Omar’s imprisonment is both a warning and a call to action. Freedom of expression and the right to dissent are worth defending — and together, we can force the state to end this injustice.

Free Ashraf Omar. Free all imprisoned journalists and artists. The pen is not a crime.

What you can do:

• Write to the Egyptian embassy in your country calling for Ashraf Omar’s immediate release and urging an end to the persecution of journalists 
• If you are a cartoonist and would like to add your name to the open letter calling for Ashraf Omar’s release, please go here for more info.
• Pass a resolution in your union branch calling for Ashraf Omar’s release – see the full statement of solidarity from the Egyptian Journalists Union here

In the UK write to: 

Ambassador Ashraf Swelam
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
26 South Street, W1K 1DW
Fax: 020 7491 1542
E-mail address: egtamboff@gmail.com  Egyemb2020@gmail.com 

In Egypt write to: 

Minister of Interior
Mahmoud Tawfiq
Ministry of the Interior
25 El Sheikh Rihan Street Bab al-Louk, Cairo, Egypt
Fax: +202 2794 5529
Email: center@iscmi.gov.eg  or E.HumanRightsSector@moi.gov.eg 
X: @moiegy