Law and Democracy Support Foundation expresses its grave concern regarding the detention of Egyptian opposition activist Mariam Mohamed El-Sayed AbdelBasette, aged 31, who has been legally residing in the Sultanate of Oman since 2021. Her detention took place shortly after she gave birth on 25 May 2026 at the Military Medical City hospital, where she was registered as a “prisoner” and effectively deprived of her liberty within a medical facility, without any publicly disclosed legal basis for such a measure.
This constitutes a serious violation of fundamental rights, particularly in light of the facts documented by the Foundation. Mariam is a mother of two minor children and was in the eighth month of her pregnancy at the time these events began.
The events commenced on 26 March 2026 with the arrest of her husband, Ahmed Moussa, aged 38, in Oman by a security authority after being summoned from his workplace. He was detained in a civilian prison without being notified of any judicial decision or granted the right to challenge the legality of his detention, and was permitted only one visit.
On the day of his deportation, he was informed that he would be released; however, his family was later shocked to receive a phone call from him at Muscat Airport informing them that he was being forcibly deported to Egypt. On 9 April 2026, he was subsequently deported to Cairo based on a verbal notification of an INTERPOL request, without the provision of any written decision, judicial order, or official INTERPOL documentation to him or his family.
On 15 April 2026, Mariam was prevented from traveling from Muscat Airport to leave Oman and was verbally informed by Omani officials that she was subject to a travel ban due to being listed on INTERPOL databases, without the provision of any official document or judicial order. She was subsequently subjected to two interrogations on 15 and 16 April without legal counsel, during which she was informed that she could be deported to Egypt if she left Oman. This effectively imposed restrictions on her freedom of movement without any legal basis.
Mariam further confirmed that she had not been formally notified of any charges or legal proceedings, and that her only knowledge of the case came from images she obtained, which the Foundation reviewed and verified. These documents indicated her inclusion as a defendant in Case No. 1871 of 2026, alongside State Security-related cases, with broadly worded charges such as “leading a terrorist organization,” “spreading false news,” “unlawful assembly,” and “incitement to civil disobedience,” without specifying any individual criminal acts attributable to her.
These charges are directly linked to Mariam’s peaceful online activity, which began after her relocation to Oman and was limited to the use of social media platforms, including commenting, sharing content, and contributing to the administration of digital opposition pages advocating for political change through peaceful means.
Mariam did not engage in any acts of violence or incitement to commit crimes; rather, her activities were confined to posting and commenting. Despite the removal of these pages from social media platforms, this did not deter the authorities from pursuing Mariam, with indications that such actions are intended as retaliation and to intimidate Egyptian activists abroad.
Mariam has also been subjected to multiple serious threats through a closed Telegram group in which personal data and images of Egyptian dissidents abroad are published. The Law and Democracy Support Foundation reviewed the content of this group, directly monitored a number of these threats, and retained screenshots of them. These included explicit threat messages, references to the dissemination of abusive content and potential physical targeting, as well as the use of gender-based defamatory language, reflecting a particularly alarming level of incitement and reinforcing serious concerns for her life, safety, and the safety of her family members.
Through her international lawyer, Ben Keith, Mariam submitted a complaint to the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) on 5 May 2026, seeking to challenge the misuse of INTERPOL mechanisms in this case, who stated: “Mariam’s case bears every hallmark of transnational repression. She has been detained shortly after giving birth, held alongside her newborn, and denied any meaningful explanation of the legal basis for her treatment. The verbal invocation of an INTERPOL listing, with no written notification and no opportunity to challenge it, falls well below the standards required by INTERPOL’s own rules and by international law. Her husband was removed to Egypt in precisely this way, and the risk that Mariam will follow is real and immediate. At the very least, any transfer must proceed through formal extradition proceedings, with disclosure of the allegations, judicial scrutiny, and the opportunity to raise the political offence exception and the risk of persecution. To remove her by informal means, on the strength of an undisclosed INTERPOL listing, would be a grave breach of international law and place her at serious risk. Oman’s non-refoulement obligations are absolute and cannot be displaced by an INTERPOL request communicated orally.”
The Foundation considers Mariam’s detention shortly after childbirth, alongside her newborn, and in the absence of any declared legal basis or transparent judicial procedures, to constitute arbitrary detention and a serious violation of her fundamental rights. It further exposes her to the risk of refoulement to Egypt, particularly in light of her husband’s enforced disappearance and the existence of documented threats to her safety, in violation of established principles of international law, including protections afforded to mothers, the rights of the child, and the prohibition of refoulement.
In light of these facts, the Foundation emphasizes that the case raises serious concerns regarding the use of deportation procedures and international security cooperation mechanisms, including INTERPOL, in contexts of a political nature and their potential misuse to pursue and suppress dissenting voices abroad.
The Foundation calls upon the Omani authorities to refrain from any action that could result in the deportation of a mother who has just given birth, is responsible for two minor children, and is in a particularly vulnerable situation, and to ensure her protection and full respect for her rights in accordance with Oman’s international obligations.
LDSF further calls for:
- The immediate and unconditional release of Mariam Abdel Baset, in line with Oman’s obligations under international human rights law.
- Granting her the freedom of movement, the right to choose her place of residence, and the ability to travel to any destination she wishes without restrictions.
- The immediate disclosure of the legal basis for any measures taken against her, ensuring prompt access to legal counsel and full guarantees of a fair trial, and the suspension of any procedures that may lead to her forcible return to Egypt.
- The opening of an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances of her detention, as well as the forced transfer and potential enforced disappearance of her husband. The Foundation also calls on the Omani authorities to review any cooperation related to INTERPOL requests and to ensure that INTERPOL mechanisms are not misused in this case.
The Foundation further calls upon INTERPOL and the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) to urgently review the case and take appropriate measures to suspend or delete any notices or data that may violate the organization’s rules.
Finally, the Foundation urges the international community and relevant UN mechanisms, particularly the Special Rapporteur on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on Enforced Disappearance, to intervene urgently to ensure the protection of Mariam and her child, emphasizing that this case reflects a serious and growing pattern of transnational repression aimed at restricting freedoms and targeting peaceful political activity beyond national borders.
