Egypt: Human rights groups demand the release of lawyer and WHRD Hoda Abdel Moneim to ensure her safety, following the deterioration of her health and her prolonged detention and multiple trials on the same charges

 March 18, 2026

The Regional Coalition for Women Human Rights Defenders in South West Asia and North Africa (WHRDMENA) and the undersigned organizations express their deep concern and strong condemnation regarding the health condition of lawyer and woman human rights defender (WHRD) Hoda Abdel Moneim in detention, which has led her to request exemption from attending court sessions and to be represented solely by her lawyer and her husband, Mr. Khaled Badawi, due to the extreme hardship she faces in being transported from the Correctional and Rehabilitation Center in 10th of Ramadan City, Sharqia Governorate, to the venue of her trial at the Badr Complex, specifically the Second Terrorism Circuit, a request that was rejected by the same court at the Badr Security Complex (1).

This is the third time that lawyer Hoda Abdel Moneim has been tried on the same charges and has had to endure the ordeal of appearing in court for two cases simultaneously. While in detention, Hoda Abdel Moneim has suffered a serious deterioration in her health, as she suffers from chronic conditions including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, high blood pressure, and severe arthritis, in addition to having previously suffered a heart attack and complete failure of her left kidney (2). Her condition has recently worsened with the onset of right kidney failure, and she urgently needs knee surgery; however, she is reluctant to undergo the procedure because there is no guarantee she will be allowed to remain in the hospital for the necessary recovery period. During his last visit in early March 2026, the defendant’s lawyer also noted that Abdel Moneim has been bedridden for over 20 days due to knee pain and her need for urgent medical care (3).

It is worth noting that Abdel Moneim has been in detention for nearly seven years, after being arrested at her home in 2018; she remained in pretrial detention for more than four years before being sentenced in Case No. 1552 of 2018 to five years in prison on charges of joining a terrorist group, while she was acquitted of the financing charge. After serving her full sentence, she was re-detained by being “rotated” in Case No. 730 of 2020, and then added again to Case No. 800 of 2019, which was referred to trial in December 2024. She is now facing trial in two cases based on the same charges, in violation of the principle of ne bis in idem (4). Hoda Abdel Moneim has received several awards in recognition of her internationally acclaimed human rights work, including the 2020 Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe Award, and most recently the International Bar Association (IBA) Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Legal Practitioner in the Field of Human Rights.

The Regional Coalition for Women Human Rights Defenders in Southwest Asia and North Africa (WHRDMENA) and the undersigned organizations call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release woman human rights defender and lawyer Hoda Abdel Moneim to save her life, and to stop arbitrary measures against her, despite her previous appointment as a member of the National Council for Human Rights. The coalition also calls on local, regional, and international human rights and feminist groups and organizations to stand in full solidarity with Abdel Moneim and demand her immediate release, particularly in light of the Egyptian authorities’ escalating targeting of women human rights defenders recently.

Undersigned organisations: 

1. The Regional Coalition for Women Human Rights Defenders in Southwest Asia and North Africa (WHRDMENA)
2. Egyptian Human Rights Forum (EHRF) 
3. Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF)
4. Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF)
5. Sinai Foundation for Human Rights 
6. The Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA)
7. El Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence 
8. The Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR) 
9. The Refugee Platform Egypt (RPE) 
10. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
11. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
12. Egyptwide for Human Rights