Renewal of Detention for Nourhan Daraz for 45 Days Despite Deteriorating Health
On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the Cairo Criminal Court, convened at the Badr Courts Complex, ordered the renewal of the pretrial detention of Nourhan El-Sayed Ahmed Daraz for 45 days, pending investigation in Case No. 3528 of 2024.
Nourhan, a retired department head at the Directorate of Social Affairs, was arrested by security forces from her residence in the Hadayek Al-Ahram district of Giza Governorate on the evening of August 5, 2024. She was subjected to enforced disappearance for 12 days before reappearing before the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) in Fifth Settlement on Saturday, August 17, 2024.
She was interrogated in connection with a Facebook post in which she criticized the prevailing economic and political conditions. She was subsequently remanded in custody for 15 days on charges including: joining a banned organization, receiving foreign funding, spreading false news, and misusing social media platforms. She was later transferred to the 10th of Ramadan Prison for women.
Nourhan has reported severe suffering due to the denial of essential medication and adequate bedding in prison, despite her critical health condition, which necessitates specialized medical care. She suffers from a uterine tumor requiring surgical removal, depends on thyroid medication following a thyroidectomy, and lives with other chronic illnesses that demand continuous medical supervision.
Her family has submitted urgent appeals to the competent security authorities, calling for her immediate release and an end to her suffering. They cite her urgent need for medical treatment and the absence of any legal grounds justifying the continued deprivation of her liberty.
