Egypt: Political Prisoner’s Death in Custody of Security Forces

12-04-2022

Myrthe Niemeijer

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence 

Since February 5, economic analyst and member of Egypt’s liberal Reform and Development Party, Ayman Hadhoud, had been missing. On April 10, his family members were informed of his death. He was ‘found’ in Cairo’s Abbassyia psychiatry hospital. 

It is reported that Mr Hadhoud had been abducted and forcibly disappeared, at the hands of the National Security Agency under President Sisi; flagrant violations of human rights. By contrast, the government stated he was arrested for robbery and placed in the psychiatry hospital for ‘assessment of his mental health’. However, official accounts of the events are contradicting, with the interior ministry claiming he attempted to break into an appartment in Cairo and the hospital records stating an attempted car theft outside Cairo. Moreover,  Mr Hadhoud’s family stated that, first, he never suffered from mental health problems, and second, the prosecutor’s office had told them that there was no record of Mr Hadhoud’s arrest or case. [1] 

As Mr Hadhoud was a member of the opposition party, with ‘his own opinions’ according to his brother, Mr Hadhoud’s case appears to demonstrate the continuance of the practices of enforced disappearances and holding of political prisoners under President Sisi.

Notes:

[1] The family was required to request ‘special permission’ from the public prosecutor’s office to visit Mr. Hadhoud. Upon request, they were told there was no record of his arrest or case anywhere. 

Sources and further reading: 

Knell, Y. (2022). Ayman Hadhoud: Questions over Egyptian economist’s mysterious death. BBC. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-61068510 

Middle East Eye. (2022). Egypt: Economist dies in government custody months after enforced disappearance. Middle East Eye. Retrieved April 12, 2022, from https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-economist-dies-government-custody-after-enforced-disappearance  

Human Rights Watch. (2022, April 11). Macron, Le Pen & Human Rights: Daily Brief. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/the-day-in-human-rights/2022/04/11