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4 Years in Detention: Marwa Arafa Deprived of Seeing Her Son, Facing Medical Neglect and Torture in Prison.
Her daughter suffers from behavioral disorders and autism due to her mother's absence.
On April 20, 2020, security forces raided the home of translator Marwa Arafa in the presence of her younger sister. The arrest took place late at night. During the arrest, mobile phones and iPads were confiscated, and her 21-month-old daughter, Wafa, along with her aunt and nanny, were detained in a separate room.
After her arrest, Marwa Arafa was forcibly disappeared for two weeks, during which she endured severe torture, before appearing before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on May 4, 2020, in Case No. 570 of 2020 (Supreme State Security Prosecution).
This case involves more than 40 defendants, most of whom face charges related to joining a terrorist organization and committing crimes associated with financing terrorism.
Following her appearance, Marwa was transferred between several police stations: the Fifth Settlement Police Station, Dokki Police Station, Nasr City Police Station, Qanater Women's Prison, and she is now held in the Al-Ashir Min Ramadan 4 Rehabilitation and Reform Center.
Marwa Arafa has spent almost four years in detention, separated from her daughter, who developed behavioral disorders as a result of her mother’s arrest. The child was also diagnosed with autism and speech difficulties.
Marwa, aged 31, was arrested when she was 27. She grew up in a family with diverse ideologies, most of whom belong to the Muslim Brotherhood, as she is the granddaughter of Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Brotherhood. However, she did not adopt or promote the group’s ideas and has followed her own path. She is not affiliated with any political parties or groups and is known for her charitable activities, providing humanitarian aid without discrimination.
During her arrest, Marwa faced numerous violations, starting with the illegal search of her home without a warrant or any notice of arrest. She was forcibly disappeared and tortured for two weeks at the National Security Headquarters in Nasr City. She was also regularly deprived of legal visits, with only one 20-minute visit allowed per month.
Throughout her detention, Marwa suffered medical neglect. She developed pneumonia and acid reflux due to the harsh conditions, and she was held in a cramped 3-square-meter cell with about 50 other prisoners, which worsened her health.
Marwa also faced continuous harassment from criminal inmates, and during her time in Qanater Women’s Prison, she was transferred to the drug offenders' ward, where she had to sleep on the floor next to the toilets and was brutally beaten by the criminal inmates, following instructions from the prison guards.