Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh has been held for seven years in solitary confinement [Getty]
Former Egyptian preidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh has completed his seventh year in solitary confinement, enduring severe isolation since his arrest on 14 February 2018.
Egyptian security forces raided Aboul Fotouh’s home after he returned from a visit to London, detaining the now 74-year-old leader of the Strong Egypt Party.
Since then, he has been held in solitary confinement, first in the notorious Tora Prison and later in Badr 3 Prison.
The Egyptian Network for Human Rights (ENHR) condemned Aboul Fotouh’s continued imprisonment on the anniversary , slamming it as a grave violation of both Egyptian law and international human rights standards.
Despite suffering multiple heart attacks, respiratory issues, and other life-threatening conditions, authorities have denied him adequate medical care.
Since current President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi came to power in a military coup in 2013, ending a brief period of democracy in Egypt, thousands of political opponents have been detained, with many tortured and denied medical care.
“His age and fragile health demand special medical attention, yet he remains in solitary confinement, a form of psychological torture and inhumane treatment under international law,” the ENHR said in a statement.
Aboul Fotouh’s legal team has repeatedly sought his transfer from solitary confinement, arguing that prolonged isolation exceeds legal limits. According to Egypt’s prison regulations, solitary confinement should not exceed 30 days, while even high-security detention is limited to six months.
However, Egyptian courts have repeatedly rejected his petitions, sparking widespread criticism.
In May 2022, a State Security Emergency Court sentenced Aboul Fotouh to 15 years in prison. The charges, which included alleged membership in a terrorist organization, possession of weapons, and spreading false news, have been widely dismissed as baseless by rights groups.
International organisations have repeatedly condemned the Egyptian government’s use of indefinite pretrial detention and politically motivated charges to silence opposition figures.
“Aboul Fotouh’s detention is not a legal matter—it is a political decision aimed at crushing dissent,” ENHR said.
In 2019, former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, who was overthrown by Sisi, died in an Egyptian courtroom after suffering years of medical neglect.
