Prominent Egyptian activist and former spokesperson for the April 6 Youth Movement, Mohamed Adel, has been on a hunger strike since December 7, 2025, to protest his arbitrary detention, which began in June 2018.
In September 2023, a misdemeanour court in Aga, Dakahlia Governorate, sentenced him to four years in prison on politically motivated charges, including “joining an unlawful group.”
Although he has spent more than seven years behind bars, authorities have refused to release him and have instead opened new investigations based on similar accusations linked to his peaceful activism.
On January 10, 2026, prisoners at 10th of Ramadan Prison assaulted him and tried to strangle him, while prison officials failed to intervene.
He is also being denied adequate health care for serious conditions, including chest pain, a torn knee ligament, and a shoulder dislocation.
Here’s what you can do:
Write to the Public Prosecutor urging him to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release Mohamed Adel and drop all charges against him, as he is detained solely for exercising his human rights.
- Pending his release, ensure his detention conditions meet international standards.
- Guarantee regular access to his family and lawyers.
- Ensure he receives adequate health care from qualified professionals, in line with medical ethics, including confidentiality, autonomy, and informed consent.
Write to:
Public Prosecutor Mohamed Shawky Ayyad
Office of the Public Prosecutor, Madinat al-Rehab
Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt;
X (Twitter): @EgyptianPPO
Salutation: Dear Counsellor,
And copy:
His Excellency Ahmed Abdallah Ibrahim Hafez
Ambassador
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
454 Laurier Avenue East
Ottawa, ON K1N 6R3
Tel: (613) 234-4931, 4935 Fax: (613) 234-9347/234-4398
Email: [email protected]
Since 2018, Mohamed Adel has been held in several prisons in Dakahlia governorate, including Mansoura prison and Gamasa maximum security prison.
Arrested for Peaceful Protest
Mohamed Adel was first arrested on December 19, 2013, along with other activists for taking part in protests. Authorities charged them under Law No. 107 of 2013, a restrictive protest law. He was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by three years of daily police probation, and fined 50,000 Egyptian pounds.
He was released in January 2017. Under probation, he had to report to a police station every day from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. On June 19, 2018, he was arrested again while reporting to Aga Police Station in Dakahlia governorate. He faced charges such as “joining an unlawful group” and “spreading false news.” Similar accusations followed in multiple cases.
Indefinite Detention Through “Rotation”
In 2020, he was questioned by the Supreme State Security Prosecution in a new case based on similar charges. Although a court ordered his release on bail on January 27, 2021, security forces did not free him.
Instead, authorities used a practice known as “rotation.” This means adding detainees to new cases with similar charges to keep them in pretrial detention beyond the two-year legal limit. Mohamed Adel spent years in extended pretrial detention before being referred to trial in 2023. On September 2, 2023, he was sentenced to four years in prison.
Prison Transfers and Denied Medical Care
Since 2018, Mohamed Adel has been held in several prisons in Dakahlia governorate, including Mansoura prison and Gamasa maximum security prison. On December 31, 2024, he was transferred to 10th of Ramadan Prison.
Authorities have repeatedly denied him adequate medical care. He has serious health concerns, including a torn knee ligament that requires joint replacement surgery, shoulder muscle atrophy and dislocation, and ongoing chest pain. He has been examined outside prison only once since 2018. He has also developed unexplained nail discolouration and breakage.
His health has worsened during his hunger strike, which began on December 7, 2025. He has lost significant weight. Prison authorities allow family visits only once a month. In 2024 and 2025, they also prevented him from sitting postgraduate exams at Mansoura University.
Retaliation Against Supporters
On January 20, 2026, security forces arrested activist Ahmed Douma at his home in Cairo. His arrest appeared to be in retaliation for posting online in support of Mohamed Adel and calling for accountability after reports that he was assaulted in prison.
Prosecutors questioned Ahmed Douma for more than 12 hours before releasing him on bail of 100,000 Egyptian pounds.
Please take action as soon as possible until August 12, 2026. The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.