We all have the right to live freely in dignity and peace. Trans activist Malak Al-Kashif demanded her government ensure this becomes a reality but instead of listening to her demands, the Egyptian government is detaining her because she called online for peaceful protests.
Update: on 15 July 2019, the State Security Prosecution ordered the release of woman human rights defender and LGBTQI activist Malak Al-Kashif.
ISHR joined Nazra for Feminist Studies, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies CIVICUS, ILGA World and PAN Africa ILGA in urging the UN Human Rights Council to call on Egypt to immediately and unconditionally release Malak Al-Kashif, drop all charges against her, and guarantee her psychological and physical well-being.
Malak is a 18-year-old trans woman and LGBTQI human rights defender. On 6 March 2019, Egyptian police arrested Malak because she called online for peaceful protests to denounce a train crash that took the lives of dozens of Egyptians in February 2019.
Malak was arrested from her home and has been kept in solitary confinement since, currently in an all-male prison. The Prosecution charged her with “aiding a terrorist organisation” and “misusing social media to commit a crime punishable by law.”
During her detention, Malak was subjected to sexual harassment by a police officer and forced anal examination, which amounts to torture and ill-treatment according to international standards.
Detaining Malak in the all-male Tora prison does not comply with international standards. She is being prevented from daily walks, and urgently needs to undergo two surgeries: one for an old injury, while the other is gender affirmation surgery, which is required to change her gender in official documents. Her psychological and physical well-being under such conditions is deteriorating according to her lawyers.
Photo: Women Human Rights Defenders Coalition – Middle East and North Africa
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