Cairo court acquits Egyptian-American of human trafficking charges

A Cairo court acquitted on Sunday an Egyptian-American woman and seven others who worked with street children and had been detained for nearly three years on human trafficking charges, in a case that had raised concerns in Washington.

Aya Hijazi, an Egyptian who holds U.S. citizenship, founded Belady, an NGO that promotes a better life for street children.

She has been in custody for 33 months in violation of Egyptian law, which states that the maximum period for pretrial detention is 24 months.

Dressed in a white prison uniform, Hijazi stood in the courtroom cage with her husband and Belady co-founder Mohamed Hassanein. With tears of joy streaming down their cheeks, they vowed to resume their charity work.

“We were delayed for three years … starting today, God willing, there won’t be any children without shelter,” Hassanein told reporters.

“Humanity became free, and the dream doesn’t die. On the contrary, the dream becomes stronger,” Hijazi said.

The verdict came two weeks after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met President Donald Trump in Washington.

Hijazi’s detention was an issue of concern and was being watched closely by the Trump administration, an administration official said at the time.