Egypt’s secret police arrest two researchers

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State security forces have arrested the researcher Kholoud Sayed Amer from her family’s house in Alexandria last night. Despite the fact that forces said they were taking her to El-Montaza Police Station, when Kholoud’s mother went to the station they told her her daughter was not there. Upon her arrest, her mobile and laptop were confiscated and her family were later asked to bring her laptop charger to the security directorate in Alexandria. Kholoud is the head of translation at Alexandria Library’s publishing house. She is also a freelance translator and researcher with a focus on language and anthropology.

Meanwhile, the political activist and member of the Revolutionary Socialist Movement, Tamer Muwafi, announced the arrest of his wife, the political activist Marwa Arafa, from her home. She was taken to an unknown location. This arrest campaign comes at a time when all human rights organisations are calling for release the detainees in anticipation of an outbreak of coronavirus in prison.

According to human rights estimates, the number of political detainees in Egypt reaches about 60,000.