Human rights lawyer Khaled Ali announced on Saturday that Egyptian authorities have transferred Ahmed Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh to the Tenth of Ramadan Prison, days after his arrest at the Katameya Traffic Unit in New Cairo while he was renewing his car licence.
Ahmed is the son of jailed former presidential candidate and Strong Egypt Party leader Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, who is currently one of Egypt's 60,000 political prisoners.
Ali stated, in a post on his Facebook page, that Ahmed Aboul Fotouh’s family were able to deliver a supply visit to him today inside the prison. A first in-person family visit has been scheduled for 28 April at the prison where he is being held.
At present, the Third Terrorism Circuit of the Emergency State Security Criminal Court - convening at Badr Court - is expected to review the retrial procedures concerning Ahmed Aboul Fotouh. However, the date for the hearing has not yet been set, according to Ali.
This follows the enforcement of a previous in absentia ruling against Aboul Fotouh, sentencing him to ten years in prison in the same case in which his father was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour.
Both men were earlier convicted on charges related to "spreading false news" and "joining a terrorist group".
The case drew widespread criticism from Egyptian and international human rights organisations, who viewed it as part of a broader crackdown on political opposition in the country.
Ahmed was arrested last Wednesday morning while at the traffic unit, before later being transferred to the Fifth Settlement Prosecution Office in New Cairo. There, he was able to submit a formal request for a retrial, granting him the legal right to a fresh trial in person, as the original ruling against him had been issued in absentia.
Under Egyptian law, filing such a request temporarily suspends the enforcement of the sentence until the case is re-adjudicated.
Lawyer Khaled Ali noted that Aboul Fotouh’s family and legal team remained unaware of his whereabouts for an entire day after his arrest, raising concerns about the conditions of his detention and the guarantee of his full legal and human rights.
The ruling against his father, Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, was issued in May 2022 as part of a case involving several political leaders and activists charged with opposing the state and violating Egypt’s Anti-Terrorism Law.
Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have called for his immediate release and described his trial as "politically motivated", adding that the entire process of his detention was "unfair".
Egyptian authorities continue to face criticism over their use of anti-terrorism legislation to prosecute political opponents and activists, amid repeated calls for the release of political detainees and for fair trials in line with international standards.