Activist Hijazi to be acquitted with official letter

CAIRO – 16 April 2017: Egyptian-American activist Aya Hijazi’s acquittal will only happen when the Prisons Authority receives an official letter from the concerned authorities, said one source at the authority.

The Cairo Criminal Court acquitted on Sunday Hejazi, her husband and six other defendants after finding them not guilty of charges of children trafficking, kidnapping, and sexual exploitation.

In May 2014, Hejazi was arrested along with her husband after an allegation that her NGO, Belady, was involved in child abuse and was operating without a license.

Hejazi launched her NGO, Belady Foundation for Street Children, which aims at addressing the plight of Egypt’s street children who did not have the opportunity to attend school, and provide them with reading, writing and art classes, and other activities.