Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF) stated today that Omani authorities continue to refuse to provide any official documentation demonstrating that Egyptian activist Mariam Abdelbaset is listed on Interpol databases, nor have they allowed her to pursue available legal remedies to challenge such a designation. If substantiated, such a listing would constitute a flagrant violation of Interpol’s Constitution, rules, and mandate. Mariam has been held since 25 May at the Medical City Hospital for Military Agencies in Muscat, where she remains following a cesarean delivery.
In parallel, LDSF has received credible though unofficial information indicating that Mariam’s name does not appear on Interpol’s Red Notice database, mirroring the case of her husband, Ahmed Mousa, who was forcibly deported to Egypt on 9 April 2026 under the same pretext. Despite the absence of any documentary evidence, Omani authorities continue to assert verbally that Mariam’s detention and travel ban are based on an official Egyptian request transmitted through Interpol.
Mariam’s lawyer, Ben Keith, stated: “It is of real concern that the authorities are refusing to cooperate. There is no basis for any INTERPOL alert, we believe that the statements by the Omani authorities in this regard are false. There is no INTERPOL alert of any type. There is therefore no legal basis to hold or deport her. In this case it seems that Oman are cooperating with Egypt to circumvent extradition protections and arbitrarily detain my client. She faces unfair trial, torture and mistreatment if deported or extradited. So far no due process has been followed”
It is noteworthy that Egypt and the Sultanate of Oman engage in security coordination through the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, which functions as a regional framework for security cooperation and the exchange of wanted persons outside international oversight mechanisms. LDSF considers the reliance on such parallel channels while informally invoking Interpol to be indicative of an attempt to circumvent due process guarantees and the right to defense, and to facilitate politically motivated transfers that fall short of minimum fair trial standards and violate the established international principle of non-refoulement.
LDSF calls on the Omani authorities to cease enabling acts of transnational repression by Egyptian authorities on its territory. It urges Oman to either disclose official documentation confirming Mariam’s inclusion in Interpol systems or release her immediately, end her unlawful targeting, and guarantee her full freedom of movement, including the right to travel to a destination of her choice.
Furthermore, LDSF calls on the Egyptian authorities to cease the persecution of Mariam in retaliation for the peaceful expression of her views online, and to enable her to obtain the necessary official documents for her newborn child. The Foundation notes that denial of civil documentation has been systematically used as a tool of transnational repression to punish Egyptian dissidents abroad.
For more information on Mariam’s case and the enforced disappearance of her husband Ahmed Mousa: egypts-misuse-of-interpol-as-a-tool-of-transnational-repression-detention-of-egyptian-opposition-activist-in-oman-raises-fears-of-forced-return
