Press Release
By: Committee for Justice
Geneva: September 17, 2023
The Committee for Justice has reported that the administration of the 10th of Ramadan Women’s Prison in Sharqia, Egypt, has re-imposed a visitation ban on the human rights advocate and legal professional, Hoda Abdel Moneim. She is also former member of the National Council for Human Rights in Egypt. This action follows a brief period during which visits were allowed — the first such authorization since her detention and imprisonment.
Hoda’s daughter expressed her frustration on her personal Facebook page: “After waiting for more than 10 hours, we were denied the chance to visit mama… just Tabliya.” The term “Tabliya” refers to the act of sending in food and personal items to an inmate without actually visiting them.
Continuous deterioration in her health:
Since her detention, Abdel Moneim has been experiencing severe deterioration in her health. She has suffered from severe knee osteoarthritis and cartilage erosion, rendering her unable to move or walk. She has also experienced a heart attack, high blood pressure, a blood clot in her left leg, and complete failure of her left kidney. Despite her condition, the prison administration has been stubborn in not transferring her to any external hospital for medical follow-up.
Calls for adherence to prison regulations and medical pardon:
CFJ calls on the Ministry of Interior and the Prison Authority to respect and adhere to the implementation of the prison’s internal regulations. Article 38 of these regulations states: “In consideration of the provisions of the Criminal Procedures Law, every convicted person has the right to correspondence and telephone communication for a fee, and their relatives are allowed to visit them twice a month, all under the supervision and control of the prison administration and in accordance with the rules and procedures specified in the internal regulations. For pretrial detainees, this right shall be maintained unless a decision is issued by the competent public prosecutor or investigating judge to the contrary, in accordance with the procedures specified in the internal regulations.” CFJ also urges the Egyptian authorities to consider issuing a medical pardon for Abdel Moneim due to the deterioration of her health, which poses severe consequences for her life.
CFJ emphasizes the need to cease preventing Abdel Moneim’s relatives from visiting her due to political disputes with the authorities.
Moreover, CFJ is urging the Egyptian authorities to consider issuing a medical pardon for Abdel Moneim, given her critical health condition, which poses severe consequences for her life.