Urgent Appeal on Critical Health of Egyptian Lawyer and Human Rights Defender Hoda Abdel-Moneim

Share Facebook Twitter Email WhatsApp The undersigned human rights organizations are deeply concerned over the severe deterioration in the health of lawyer and human rights defender Hoda Abdel-Moneim, 66 years old, who has been in pretrial detention since 1st of November 2018. Abdel-Moneim‘s life is imminently at risk. According to her lawyer, Ms. Abdelmonem had two heart attacks on 23 and 30 August 2025, yet neither he nor her family were informed of her deteriorating health at the time, only learning of her condition during a subsequent visit on 6 September 2025. In addition, Ms. Abdelmonem, who has been in detention since November 2018, suffers from cerebral arterial constriction, which left her bedridden for 12 consecutive days and completely unable to move. She also suffers from chronic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) accompanied by multiple pulmonary embolisms, requiring strict adherence to continuous treatment in order to stabilize her condition and prevent clot migration to the lungs — a potentially fatal risk. She further suffers from severe hypertension, acute inflammations in the joints and spine, and is in urgent need of knee replacement surgery. Her kidney functions have also deteriorated significantly, as her left kidney has completely ceased functioning, while her right kidney shows severe reflux. In addition, she previously suffered an angina attack while in detention, and her health continues to deteriorate due to systematic medical neglect. On 9 September 2025, Hoda Abdel-Moneim’s family submitted a new official request to the relevant authorities for her release on medical grounds. This request was preceded by numerous other requests that went unanswered. The family further filed a complaint with the National Council for Human Rights on 13 August 2025, requesting urgent intervention to provide Abdel-Moneim with the necessary medical care and demanding her immediate release The continuation of Abdel Monem’s pre-trial detention lacks any legal basis. She has been “rotated” into two new cases — No. 800 of 2020 and No. 730 of 2020 — both carrying the same charges as Case No. 1552 of 2018 before the Supreme State Security Prosecution, in which a final and binding judgment was issued by an exceptional court. Re-imposing the same charges constitutes a blatant violation of the most basic guarantees of a fair trial. Hoda Abdelmonem is not an individual ordeal, but rather part of a pattern of systematic violations committed by the Egyptian authorities against dissidents and human rights defenders. Prisoners in Egypt endure grave human rights abuses on a daily basis, without the slightest accountability for those responsible. These conditions have driven some detainees to attempt suicide due to the harshness of their detention, the denial of essential medication, and the authorities’ failure to respond to medical emergencies. The repeated “rotation” of Hoda Abdelmonem — for the third time, despite the expiry of her sentence in October 2023 — epitomizes the flagrant disregard for judicial rulings, and highlights the extent to which the fate of political prisoners and human rights defenders in Egypt is determined by the security apparatuses and their decisions, rather than by the courts. This pattern is also evident in other cases, such as that of human rights defender Ibrahim Metwally, who has been imprisoned since 2017 and is continuously “rotated” from one case to another. Accordingly, we call on the Egyptian authorities to: ● Immediately and unconditionally release lawyer and human rights defender Hoda Abdelmonem, given the critical risk to her life and the absence of any legal basis for her continued pre-trial detention. ● Ensure her urgent transfer to a specialized hospital outside prison to receive necessary and lifesaving medical care. ● Guarantee the right of all detainees to comprehensive healthcare in line with both Egyptian constitutional requirements and international human rights standards. Signatories: 1. Egyptian Human Rights Forum (EHRF) 2. Egyptian Front for Human Rights 3. Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF) 4. CIVICUS 5. EuroMed Rights Network 6. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms 7. Fair Square 8. Refugee Platform 9. Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC) 10. REDWORD for Human Rights & Freedom of Expression 11. The Regional Coalition for Women Human Rights Defenders in South West Asia and North Africa (WHRDMENA) 12. Sinai Foundation for Human Rights 13. HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement 14. Lawyers for Lawyers 15. the Arabic center for judiciary independence 16. MENA Rights Group 17. International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) 18. The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) 19. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) 20. Egyptwide for human rights 21. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) 22. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) 23. Digital Democracy Now هدى عبد المنعم