Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF) expresses deep concern over the transfer of photojournalist Hamdi Mokhtar Ali, known as Hamdi El-Zaeem, from Abu Zaabal 2 Prison to 10th of Ramadan Rehabilitation Center 5 Prison, just two days after the publication of a joint statement by 16 human rights organizations calling for his immediate release and an end to the decade-long cycle of detention and prosecution he has endured.
According to information received by the Foundation, El-Zaeem was transferred on the morning of 28 September 2026, following a trial hearing held on 27 September 2026 before the Criminal Court sitting at the Badr Courts Complex. During the hearing, the court postponed the case until 11 October 2026 to continue the trial proceedings.
Information received by the Foundation indicates that the transfer decision came in the wake of reports that El-Zaeem intended to protest his continued detention and refuse to attend future court sessions in objection to being deprived of his liberty throughout these years.
The Foundation is concerned that the transfer may constitute a punitive measure rather than a response to growing calls for his release. It may also further burden both El-Zaeem and his family by worsening detention conditions and making family visits more difficult.
On 26 September 2026, 16 human rights organizations issued a joint statement calling for Hamdi El-Zaeem’s immediate release after he had spent ten years deprived of his liberty through a combination of pretrial detention, probationary measures, and repeated prosecutions, without a final conviction ever being issued against him.
For a full decade, El-Zaeem has remained trapped in a cycle of detention, restrictive measures, and recurring criminal proceedings. His continued imprisonment, as well as any measures that further exacerbate his situation, raises serious concerns regarding the right to liberty and respect for due process guarantees.
The Foundation renews its call for Hamdi El-Zaeem’s immediate release and for an end to the prolonged injustice he has endured, rather than subjecting him to additional measures that further increase the hardship faced by him and his family after ten years of deprivation of liberty.
