On October 31, 2018, at around 11 p.m., state security forces broke into and raided Aisha Al Shater’s house in Cairo. They arrested her without a warrant and took her to an unknown location. At the same time, the officers arrested her husband, Mohamed Abu Horarira Mohamed Abdul Rahman. For 21 days, Al Shater’s fate and whereabouts remained unknown. She reappeared on November 21, 2018, at the office of the state security prosecutor in Cairo, who accused her of “joining an illegal group” and “inciting harm to the national economy”, and ordered her pre-trial detention.
During pre-trial detention, Al Shater was subjected to severe acts of torture. In late January 2019, Al Shater was transferred to Al Qanater Women’s Prison and subjected to prolonged solitary confinement. Due to a serious medical condition, Al Shater’s health has deteriorated rapidly and, as a result of the conditions of her detention, there are concerns that her life is at serious risk without ongoing specialist treatment.
Aisha Al Shater’s arrest took place amidst a wave of arrests occurring in late October 2018, which targeted at least 40 human rights lawyers and activists.
On March 5, 2023, an emergency court sentenced Aisha and her husband to 10 and 15 years in prison, respectively.
