Taqwa Abdel Nasser: Over 3 Years in Pretrial Detention Amid Harsh Conditions, Facing Abuse, Threats, and Deprivation of Basic Rights.
On April 25, 2016, security forces arrested Taqwa Abdel Nasser near the Journalists’ Syndicate while she was participating in a protest against the agreement to transfer the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia (the maritime border demarcation agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia).
At the time, Taqwa Abdel Nasser was just 19 years old, born on October 13, 1996. She had recently graduated with a degree in education from Helwan University, where she specialized in Early Childhood Education.
Following her arrest near the Journalists' Syndicate, she was charged in Case No. 6408 of 2016 (Qasr Al-Nil Misdemeanor Court), known in the media as the "Land Protests" case. She faced accusations of "assembly, protesting without a permit, and spreading false news."
Two days later, on April 27, 2016, she was released on bail of EGP 500. However, she remained in custody for a period before being acquitted in an appeals court on June 14, 2016.
On June 9, 2019, Taqwa was arrested again, this time at the Helwan metro station by plainclothes security personnel under the pretext of security suspicion. Following her arrest, she was forcibly disappeared for 18 days at a National Security facility.
She reappeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on June 27, 2019, and was charged in Case No. 930 of 2019 (Supreme State Security Prosecution), known in the media as the "Hope Alliance" case.
In the "Hope Alliance" case, Taqwa faced accusations of "collaborating with a terrorist group, spreading false news, and disrupting the constitution and laws."
After spending three years in detention pending this case, she was ordered released on February 7, 2021. However, she was immediately rearrested and charged in a new case, Case No. 1054 of 2020 (Supreme State Security Prosecution), accused of conspiring with foreign elements to overthrow the state. She remains in pretrial detention to this day.
Taqwa is currently being held in the Al-Ashir Min Ramadan 4 Rehabilitation and Reform Center, after previously being detained in Qanater Women's Prison, where she spent four years in the theft offenders’ ward.
During her detention, Taqwa has endured numerous violations. These began with her forced disappearance for 18 days following her second arrest, during which she was held at a National Security facility without being presented to a prosecutor or having her location disclosed. She was also interrogated without a lawyer present.
While detained at the rehabilitation center, Taqwa has been subjected to verbal abuse and threats of physical assault. She has also been handcuffed and confined to bathrooms as a punitive measure. Additionally, she has been deprived of exercise, as well as access to the canteen or cafeteria, for extended periods.
Taqwa faces dire conditions in detention, including at times being forced to buy overpriced meals when available, due to the lack of sufficient food or hot water. She has also been prohibited from receiving visits for extended periods, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She has endured poor detention conditions, such as being held in the intake ward for over 20 days in violation of regulations and being forced to reside in the theft and gang-related offenders’ ward.