In the context of ongoing human rights violations by Egypt’s governing body, the administration has continued to prohibit visitation rights to the imprisoned lawyer, Hoda Abdel-Moneim. This continues despite her recent transfer to a new detention facility.
Khaled Badawy, a human rights attorney and spouse of Hoda Abdel-Moneim, who previously served on Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights, confirmed her relocation by Egyptian authorities to the 10th of Ramadan Prison in Sharqia Governorate, located in the Egyptian Delta. He noted that the visitation prohibition remains in effect.
In a Facebook post, he disclosed, “The authorities have forbidden us from visiting my wife, Hoda Abdel-Moneim, following her transfer to the 10th of Ramadan Prison. It’s been over three months since the judgement session, and we still know nothing about her situation. We are not even allowed to exchange a few words for reassurance.”
On March 5th of the preceding year, the Cairo Criminal Court issued a series of severe sentences, under case No. 1 of 2021. The case known as “the case of members of the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms,” ranged from life imprisonment to rigorous imprisonment and acquittal. Among these was a sentence of 5 years of rigorous imprisonment for Hoda Abdel-Moneim, accused of documenting and publicizing human rights violations via social media platforms.
The court also ruled that all the accused in the case would be placed on terrorist entities lists. It decided to shut down the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms website, confiscate their possessions, and keep them under surveillance for five years post-sentence.
Hoda Abdel-Moneim’s daughter had previously disclosed her mother’s ban from receiving visitors for more than 3 months, amid a continuous deterioration in her health.
Since her detention on November 1, 2018, Hoda Abdel-Moneim’s health has significantly declined. She suffers from severe knee complications and mobility issues, high blood pressure, a clot in her left leg, and complete kidney failure. The prison administration has obstinately refused her transfer to any external medical facility for treatment. Her recent relocation from Al-Qanater Prison to the new 10th of Ramadan Prison saw further violations; she was stripped of all personal possessions and medications.
Hoda Abdel-Moneim, a 63-year-old human rights lawyer and defender, mother to four daughters, previously served on the National Council for Human Rights in Egypt and was a member of the Egyptian House of Representatives from 2012-2013. She has been on Egypt’s travel ban list since 2013.
The ongoing tribulations of lawyer Hoda Abdel-Moneim underline the critical necessity for human rights enhancement in Egypt and their compliant implementation. Egypt urgently needs to adhere to international human rights standards and collaborate with civil organizations to safeguard the rights of human rights activists, lawyers, and all prisoners. The international community is urged to insist on these necessary improvements and constantly monitor human rights within the country.
It’s noteworthy that Egyptian authorities detain thousands in politically motivated arrests. Many are wrongfully convicted in unjust trials or held for years without trial on baseless terrorism charges, under extremely poor detention conditions.
