Dr. Mahmoud Mustafa: Five Years of Arbitrary Detention and Harsh Conditions Threatening His Life
The Al-Shehab Human Rights Center expresses deep concern and condemns the continued detention of Dr. Mahmoud Mustafa Mohamed Ali — a heart and chest surgeon, former lecturer and assistant professor at Al-Azhar University in Assiut, and a former member of the medical team assisting Professor Magdi Yacoub — for the fifth consecutive year, amid the absence of basic guarantees for a fair trial.
Since his arrest on May 27, 2021, Dr. Mahmoud has remained in prolonged pretrial detention without legal justification, and he was recently referred to trial after more than four years of detention. Nevertheless, the Cairo Criminal Court held the first session of his trial last week and decided to postpone the case to a session on January 4, 2026, in connection with case number 965 of 2021, where he is accused of joining a group and promoting news — vague accusations used to prolong detention without presenting substantive evidence.
Current Place of Detention:
Abu Zaabal 2 Prison, where he is subjected to harsh detention conditions and punitive treatment, during which he has been deprived of his work and his professional role in saving patients' lives, and he has been dismissed from his job due to the forced absence resulting from his detention.
Dr. Mahmoud is an outstanding figure in his field; he worked for two years as part of the medical team of the world-renowned Professor Magdi Yacoub, gaining professional and scientific experiences that qualified him to work in major medical institutions both inside and outside Egypt, before years of detention interrupted his scientific and humanitarian journey.
The continuation of his detention constitutes a clear violation of the right to freedom and a fair trial, making pretrial detention an actual punishment without a judicial ruling, which contradicts the Egyptian constitution and international standards, foremost among them the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Al-Shehab Center demands the following:
- The immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Mahmoud Mustafa.
- The cessation of using pretrial detention as a punishment before a ruling is issued.
- Enabling him to exercise his right to treatment, work, and continue his scientific activities without restrictions.
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