17 June 2026
The undersigned organizations, groups, and individuals express their full solidarity with Dr. Omnia Sweidan and their deep concern over her continued detention following the publication of her testimony regarding what she described as abusive and violent practices against women inside the maternity wards of El-Shatby Hospital. In light of these developments, we call on the Egyptian authorities to release her immediately and unconditionally, and to refrain from bringing any charges against her for exercising her constitutional right to freedom of expression.
The arrest of Omnia Sweidan came amid a troubling pattern of harassment and targeting that followed her publication of a personal testimony about her experience as an intern physician at El-Shatby Hospital. Her testimony contributed to opening an important public discussion on obstetric violence, a form of gender-based violence experienced by women within healthcare institutions that continues to suffer from insufficient recognition, documentation, and accountability.
Her testimony also reaffirmed the urgent need to provide safe spaces for women and healthcare workers to report abuses and violations without fear of retaliation or prosecution. Rather than seriously engaging with the allegations she raised, and with the subsequent testimonies shared by doctors and women concerning violence, physical abuse, and sexual harassment during childbirth, issues that have long been documented by feminist activists, rights organizations, and Egyptian media outlets, the response has been a broad campaign of defamation and incitement against Omnia on social media, culminating in her arrest and transfer to an undisclosed location.
This disturbing sequence of events starkly illustrates how women’s testimonies about violence can be transformed into grounds for targeting and punishment, sending a chilling message to anyone seeking to expose abuses or demand accountability.
Detaining any individual for peacefully expressing an opinion or for publishing testimony that sheds light on violent and abusive realities experienced by us as citizens constitutes a violation of constitutionally and legally protected rights and freedoms, foremost among them the rights to freedom of expression, personal safety and security, and access to information and justice.
We further stress that what Omnia is experiencing reflects the broader environment women face when speaking about or reporting violence. In recent years, we have witnessed an increasingly common pattern whereby survivors, victims, and witnesses become the subjects of scrutiny, stigma, and disbelief. Such practices push women further out of public life and threaten their safety and livelihoods, while campaigns of harassment, incitement, and digital defamation are weaponized to track, intimidate, and silence feminist voices and discourage women from sharing their experiences or demanding their rights.
We have also followed the statement issued by the Egyptian Medical Syndicate and the official media comments surrounding the case. The focus on denying the receipt of formal complaints or reports, while neglecting the seriousness of the testimonies being circulated, risks placing women who witness or experience violence under suspicion and scrutiny rather than pursuing meaningful accountability and investigations aimed at safeguarding patients’ rights and safety.
Accordingly, we call on the Egyptian authorities to release Omnia Sweidan immediately and refrain from bringing charges against her for exercising her right to freedom of expression and for sharing her testimony. We also emphasize the necessity of addressing the allegations she raised with seriousness and ensuring independent and transparent investigations into the incidents she described.
Protecting the right to expression and enabling women to use various platforms to share their testimonies and experiences of violence is the result of years of efforts to challenge stigma and provide support for survivors. We therefore stress the importance of directing accountability and justice mechanisms toward supporting survivors and confronting impunity.
The right to testify is not a crime. Speaking out about violence is not a crime.
Signatories:
- Barah Aamen Foundation
- Super Woman Initiative
- Egyptians Without Borders for Development
- Ganoubiya Horra Foundation
- Genderist Initiative
- Enough Violence
- New Woman Foundation
- Stop Unnecessary Caesarean Sections Initiative
- Sout for Women’s Rights
- She and the Law Initiative
- Soutek Against Violence Against Women Initiative
- Bar Aman Group
- Hirak Initiative
- Manara Initiative
- Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE)
- Al-Karama Party
- Socialist Popular Alliance Party
- Revolutionary Socialists Movement
- Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF)
