A British mum detained in Egypt has lost “a lot of weight” and was a “broken person” during her mother’s first prison visit, her husband claims.
Eman el-Shazly, 45, was reportedly seen for just 15 minutes after more than two weeks in custody.
Her husband, Zeesharn Moustapha, said her 68-year-old mother was left “in pieces” after seeing her daughter’s condition.
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He has now told the UK Government to “get their head out of their ar*es” and intervene.
Eman, a mother of four from Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, has been detained since being taken from her mother’s Cairo home on 17 August.
She is being held at the 10th of Ramadan Rehabilitation Centre, north-east of the Egyptian capital.
Zeesharn said Eman’s mother and two nieces were permitted to see her and her detained sister on Wednesday (2 Sep).
He told NeedToKnow: “They only saw them for 15 minutes.
“For the first five to eight minutes, the officers who were there were just swearing at the family, pushing and shoving.
“They were saying, ‘Is your sister going to stop now? Is she going to stop now?’
“They were goading the family, basically.
“They were laughing at them, pushing them and shoving them physically.
“They just sat there in fear.”
The claims have not been independently verified and the Egyptian authorities have been approached for a response.
Zeesharn said the relatives were eventually able to exchange a few words with Eman and her sister.
But he claims both women appeared to be struggling physically and psychologically.
He said: “The two girls are a bit worse for wear.
“They’re not eating properly and they’ve lost a lot of weight.
“Their demeanour is that of a broken person.
“They just don’t look good.
“I knew it was going to be worse to actually hear about her condition.
“But to hear that they’re pushing them, shoving them and goading them is just disgusting behaviour.”
He said the family had brought enough food to feed approximately 30 people in each of the women’s cells.
Zeesharn previously alleged that inmates are held in large groups, sleep on concrete floors and rely upon relatives to supply food.
His mother-in-law now has four children in detention.
He said: “She was just in pieces on the phone.
“She’s got four kids in there now, so she’s obviously really struggling.
“She’s a broken woman now.
“We can only try to support her over the phone.”
Zeesharn said he feared travelling to Egypt himself because of the attention surrounding the case.
He added: “I think if I landed at the airport there, they’d probably just pick me up straight away.
“We’ve been going there four or five times a year for 20 years.
“I fell in love with that country. We’ve had the time of our lives there.
“But obviously, with this problem now, it looks like I won’t be going to Egypt again.
“It’s just devastation. People are heartbroken.”
Eman remains in pre-trial detention under State Security Prosecution Case No. 4489 of 2026.
Egyptian authorities accuse her of using a social-media account to promote the ideas of a terrorist organisation and spreading false news or statements said to harm security and public order.
Her UK legal representative, Arfan Rashid of Rashid Law, previously said they were unaware of any specific publication allegedly posted by Eman or evidence that she had personally promoted such an organisation.
Her Egyptian lawyer opposed her continued detention at a hearing on 30 August, but it was extended for another 15 days until approximately 13 September.
Zeesharn claims the lawyer has not been permitted a private face-to-face meeting with Eman.
He said their only communication had taken place over a video link in the presence of the prosecutor responsible for the detention proceedings.
The family and its lawyers believe Eman’s detention is connected to the political activity of another sister living in the UK.
Zeesharn described the case as “illegal collective punishment” but said his immediate focus was securing intervention from the British Government.
He said: “We’re waiting for the Government to do something about it, or try to at least make a public comment.
“This is where we need the UK Government and human-rights organisations.
“We need these big people involved.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office previously said it was supporting the family of a British national detained in Egypt and remained in contact with the authorities.
The FCDO and Egyptian Embassy have been approached for updated comment.
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