Welcoming Aya Hijazi Back Home and Congratulating Rep. Don Beyer and Human Rights Watch’s Successful Advocacy

Press Release

April 25, 2017

(APRIL 25, Washington, D.C.) - After three years of imprisonment in Egypt for false charges of child abuse, Aya Hijazi has finally been released.

30-year older Hijazi is an American citizen who founded the Belady Foundation to help shelter and rehabilitate marginalized children on the streets of Egypt. In May of 2014, the Egyptian government cracked down on civil society groups, including Hijazi’s. Hijazi and her husband were detained for three years.

Along with several other United States representatives, Virginia Congressman Don Beyer continuously advocated for Hijazi’s release and return back to the United States. MPAC applauds Rep. Beyer’s efforts in making this an international issue, condemning her detention and the false charges pressed against her, and creating the momentum that ultimately led to her release.

Human Rights Watch, who rigorously advocated for her release, said in a statement, “Aya Hijazi, her husband, and their colleagues are finally free, but the system that subjected them to a travesty of justice for nearly three years remains unchanged.”

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ABOUT MPAC

Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) is a national public affairs nonprofit organization working for the integration of Islam and Muslims into American pluralism. Over the past 30 years, MPAC has built a reputation as a dynamic, trusted, and authentic American Muslim voice for policymakers, opinion shapers, and community organizers across the country. Learn more at mpac.org.