Your Excellency,

Every day, Azza Soliman risks her own safety and freedom to defend survivors of abuse in Egypt.

Azza bravely speaks out for victims of torture, arbitrary detention, domestic abuse, and rape. She co-founded the centre for Egyptian women's legal assistance and later Lawyers for Justice and Peace to give much-needed legal aid, support, and literacy lessons for women in poverty and survivors of abuse.

Because of their courageous and selfless work, Azza and other Egyptian Human Rights Defenders have been labelled as spies and national security threats. They have been targeted with smear campaigns and government surveillance - and security forces and pro-government media constantly harass them. Many of them face up to life in prison, as a result of the politically motivated court case known as ‘Case 173’.

Recently, Azza was arrested and interrogated. She now faces charges such as slandering Egypt’s image by claiming that women in the country face rape. She has been banned from travel, her assets have been frozen - and she could face time in prison.

I therefore ask you to get all charges against Azza Soliman and Egyptian human rights defenders immediately and unconditionally dropped, and travel bans and asset freezes issued against them revoked.

Yours sincerely,