Since February 5, 2022, the Egyptian economist had been forcibly disappeared by the Egyptian authorities.
His brother, Omar Hadhoud, said that Ayman disappeared on the evening of February 5, “I tried to call his mobile, but to no avail. The family made lots of contacts until we learned that he was detained by the National Security Services in the Amiriyah. We asked them about him, but they denied knowing anything about him.”
“After two days, a police officer from the National Security Services came to us and told us that Ayman is being held with them”, he added.
He continued, “We went back to the National Security Services again, and they told us that Ayman had schizophrenia, therefore he was hospitalised for observation in the mental hospital in Abbasiya Hospital for 45 days.”
Omar confirmed that Ayman is in full mental strength and does not suffer from any mental illnesses. He added that the family visited the aforementioned hospital, which denied them visitation without having a permit from the Public Prosecutor, which they requested, however the public prosecution informed them that there is no such record of his arrest or case anywhere.
“After the end of the 45 days period, we went to the National Security Services again, and we were told that he had a case in the Zainhum Prosecution Complex, and we asked all the prosecutors there, but we have not found him until today”, Omar concluded.
Ayman Hodhoud is an expert and economic researcher, and a founder of the Reform and Development Party. He worked as an economic advisor in the party, and was nominated in the 2010 parliamentary elections.
The United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances had documented the “systematic” and ongoing crime of enforced disappearance in Egypt against activists, human rights defenders and citizens.
Enforced disappearance has become a repressive means for the Egyptian authorities practices on a daily basis against political opponents, in clear violation of all international norms and laws.
