human rights defender

Hoda Abdel Moneim

Actions and Campaigns

Urgent support needed

Medical assistance

Organization affiliation

  • Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms
  • National Council for Human Rights in Egypt

HRD's year of birth

1959

HRD's Gender

Woman

Type of HRD

  • Lawyer

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Civil and political rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

HRD's bio and work

Hoda Abdul Moneim is an Egyptian human rights lawyer, activist and a member of the board of directors of the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedom and a former member of National Council for Human Rights in Egypt.

Current Status

In prison (pre-trial)

Detained since

Oct 31, 2018

Charge(s)

  • Terrorism

Sentence

The First Circuit of Terrorism Felonies, acting as the Emergency State Security Court based at Badr Criminal Court, under the presidency of Judge Mohamed Saied El Sherbiny, issued a verdict on 5 March 2023, in case number 1552/2018 State Security Supreme, commonly known in the media as the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms case, sentencing her to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment.

Latitude: 30.29525766637101

Longitude: 31.74437089563484

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Africa: Northern Africa

Location of detention - City/Town

Ramadan City

Location of detention - Facility

10th of Ramadan City - The10th of Ramadan Rehabilitation and Correctional Complex

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment

According to her family, Hoda Abdel Moneim’s health has deteriorated significantly in detention. She suffers from several chronic conditions, including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, hypertension, severe arthritis, complete failure of her left kidney, and vesicoureteral reflux affecting her right kidney. She also suffered two heart attacks on 23 and 30 August 2025 and urgently requires knee surgery. As of her family’s most recent visit on 11 July 2026, she was unable to walk without a three-legged cane and assistance from prison officers. Despite repeated requests by her family and lawyer, the court has continued to require her to attend hearings in person, involving physically exhausting transfers between 10th of Ramadan Prison and the Badr Courts Complex. She is permitted to leave her cell for only one hour, six days a week, in a corridor without sunlight, and is prevented from exercising alongside other prisoners, further isolating her.

Recent case update / evolution

On 31 October 2023, Hoda Abdel Moneim was due to be released after completing her five-year prison sentence. Instead, the authorities continued to detain her and prosecuted her in two additional cases based on similar terrorism-related charges. On 8 December 2024, she was referred to trial in Case No. 730 of 2020 on charges of joining a terrorist organization and participating in a criminal conspiracy, which carry a possible sentence of life imprisonment. On 29 December 2024, she was also referred to trial in Case No. 800 of 2019 on charges of joining and financing a terrorist organization, for which she could face the death penalty. As of 17 August 2026, she remained arbitrarily detained and was being tried simultaneously in both cases on substantially the same allegations, in violation of the principle of double jeopardy.

Any other relevant documents

https://www.ccbe.eu/fileadmin/speciality_distribution/public/documents/HUMAN_RIGHTS_AWARD/2020/EN_Background-Human-Rights-Award-2020.pdf

Documented by