Amnesty International on Thursday raised concern over the assault of prominent activist Mohamed Adel in an Egyptian prison.

The urgent alert detailed that Mohamed Adel, a former spokesperson of the April 6 Youth Movement, was attacked by fellow prisoners on January 10 in Ramadan prison. According to information gathered by the organization, Adel was beaten, had an attempt made on his life by strangulation, and prison officials failed to intervene to protect him.

The two sides in this ongoing case, the Egyptian state, represented by its security and judicial apparatus, and a pro-democracy activist, reflect a decade-long pattern of repression. Adel has been arbitrarily detained since June 2018, held beyond his four-year sentence on charges related to peaceful activism, including “joining an unlawful group.” He has been on hunger strike since December 2025 to protest his continued detention, during which his health has severely deteriorated.

In its urgent action appeal, Amnesty International detailed the assault and the subsequent official response:

On 15 January 2026, Mohamed Adel’s family and lawyers filed an official complaint with the Public Prosecutor requesting an investigation into his claims of being assaulted in prison… After the family publicly announced having submitted the complaint, the Ministry of Interior issued a statement on 15 January 2026, denying his assault. On 19 January 2026, the Attorney General at the Mansoura Appeals Prosecution questioned his wife and his father in relation to the complaint. Since then, there has been no information on the progress of investigations.

The organization is calling for his immediate and unconditional release, noting that he is being held solely for exercising his human rights, and for an independent investigation into the assault.

The urgent action, while a crucial tool for mobilizing international pressure, is still a reactive measure in the context of systematic repression. This latest incident comes amidst a broader practice of arbitrary detention, torture, and denial of medical care in Egyptian prisons, which constitutes an entrenched human rights crisis with numerous international appeals.