Aya Hijazi
Belady foundation Aya Hijazi talks about her experience as a political prisoner, 2018
Born
Aya Hijazi

(1987-01-23) 23 January 1987
EducationMasters in Public Administration Candidate, Harvard University BA in Conflict Resolution[1]
Alma materGeorge Mason University
Harvard University
Known forBelady Foundation for Street Children
Imprisonment in Egypt 2014–2017
SpouseMohamed Hassanien
Websitehttp://belady-ih.org/

Aya Hijazi (also: Hegazy, Higazi; Arabic: آية حجازي) is an Egyptian-American charity worker[2] and social activist. Together with her husband she founded an NGO "Belady Foundation" to support child political prisoners in Egypt. Hijazi, her husband and five other Belady members were imprisoned in Cairo from 2014 until 2017, when the Cairo Criminal Court found them innocent.[3]

Childhood and education

Hijazi became interested in social activism during her childhood in the United States (US). She studied conflict analysis and conflict resolution at George Mason University in the US and law at Cairo University in Egypt.[4]

2011 Egyptian revolution and Belady

During the 2011 Egyptian revolution, Hijazi returned to her homeland, Egypt, along with her husband, Mohamed Hassanein, to establish a non-governmental organization (NGO), "Belady" (meaning "My Home"). Hijazi and Hassanein's intention was that Belady was to become "a symbolic island that unified people from all walks of life, allowing them to work towards the betterment of society". Belady focused on children and youth – one of Belady's main projects was helping street children who would otherwise be unsupported by state or non-state social support institutions. Working on such projects was seen by Belady to foster a sense of community while developing life skills within the children and the volunteers.

Arrest and Imprisonment

On May 1, 2014, police forces raided Belady and arrested Aya, her husband, Mohamed, Sherif Talaat and Amira Farag, also Belady members. They were charged with child abuse.[5] Three months later, the police arrested Ibrahim Abd Rabbo, Karim Magdy and Mohamed al-Sayed, who had been trying to film video testimony with several children who had earlier been interviewed by the prosecution. For nearly three years, the seven individuals were imprisoned under charges that included human trafficking, kidnapping, and rape.[3]

NGOs and public figures from Egypt and around the world pressed for the release of Aya, her husband, and the Belady members. The case took a turning point when Aya's college friend, Chelsea Cowan, successfully lobbied congressmen and senators, bringing attention to her case. As a result, Hillary Clinton made it a highlight in her presidential election campaign and President Trump pressed for the release of Aya and the other defendants.[6]

On April 16, 2017, the Cairo Criminal Court found Aya and all Belady members innocent of all charges.[3] Two days after their release, Dina Powell (U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy to President Donald Trump) flew with Aya and her husband in a private plane to the United States; President Trump, along with his daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, welcomed her to the White House and celebrated her release. According to Hijazi, Trump told her at that meeting "You know it's I who released you, don't you? I succeeded and Obama failed," a sentiment that she felt exposed egotistical motives, and contributed to her endorsing Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.[7][8]

Aya's case took place in the context of Egypt's crackdown on civil society, police corruption, the fabrication of criminal cases, and the abuse of pretrial detention and its use as a political tool to suppress any opposition.

Post Release

As of 2017, Aya resides in Washington D.C., where she works on expanding Belady and "saving the dreams of the most vulnerable children", by working towards the release of child political prisoners in Egypt. She plans to establish "islands of humanity" throughout the Middle East and other conflict zones.[9][10] Hijazi initially supported Bernie Sanders for president in the 2020 election.[11] In early November 2020, Hijazi tweeted her support for Joe Biden.[8][12]

Personal life

Hijazi was born to an Egyptian mother and Lebanese father. She married another Egyptian–American social activist, Mohamed Hassanien.

References

  1. ↑ "Profile Book 2020-2021" (PDF). harvard.edu. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "Egypt court acquits charity worker Aya Hijazi", BBC News, 16 April 2017, US-Egyptian charity worker Aya Hijazi has been acquitted by a court in Egypt after almost three years in prison.
  3. 1 2 3 "Aya Hegazy and Belady Foundation staff acquitted after more than 2 years in detention". Mada Masr. 16 April 2017. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  4. ↑ "How Egypt's most famous jailed couple celebrated Valentine's Day". Washington Post. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  5. ↑ Declan Walsh (16 April 2017). "American Aid Worker Is Cleared of Child Abuse Charges in Egypt". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  6. ↑ Tamara Qiblawi (16 April 2017). "Egyptian-American acquitted after 3 years behind bars". CNN. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  7. ↑ Aya Hijazi [@_AyaHijazi_] (2 November 2020). "Trump leaned in & said, "you know it's I who released you, don't you? I succeeded & Obama failed" in the most vulnerable moment of my life, 48 hrs after releasing me from prison. It was never about me like it was never about us. It's about his ego. We deserve better #VoteBiden" (Tweet). Retrieved 1 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  8. 1 2 "Imprisoned American aid worker freed by Trump endorses Biden". The Independent. 4 November 2020. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  9. ↑ "Trump welcomes freed US-Egypt prisoner Aya Hijazi to White House". BBC News. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  10. ↑ "Transcript of AP interview with Trump". AP News. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  11. ↑ Hijazi, Aya (14 March 2020). "Trump Got Me Released From Prison. But I Support Bernie". The Intercept. Archived from the original on 14 March 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  12. ↑ Choi, David (3 November 2020). "Trump privately told a released American prisoner that 'Obama failed' and he deserved credit for her release, former captive says". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
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