12 April 2022; MEMO: Egyptian economic expert Ayman Hadhoud, who worked with the Reform and Development Party, has passed away after having been forcibly disappeared in February, Middle East Observer reported.
Ayman Hadhoud, a graduate of the American University in Cairo and economic adviser to Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat, chairman of the Social Democratic Reform and Development Party, has reportedly died under torture at one of the headquarters of the notorious National Security Agency, according to Al Mawkef Almasry.
In addition to being the economic adviser to Chairman of the Social Democratic Reform and Development Party Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat, Ayman Hadhoud was 'dedicated to conducting various types of research related to economy, business planning, policy making, financial assessment'.
Ayman Hadhoud used to write policy briefs on various economic issues in Egypt and present them to Mr. Anwar El Sadat. Ayman Hadhoud also wrote the press releases and official statements defining the position of Mr. El Sadat on economic issues.
He formulated policies related to a wide array of economic regulations aiming at improving the Egyptian economy.
Almawkef Almasry news site published a post on its Facebook account, reading: "Obituary and questions.. Who kidnapped and disappeared the economic researcher Ayman Hadhoud? And how did he die? Today, the family of the economic researcher Ayman Hadhoud announced his death after enforced disappearance for two months…"
Despite the fact that almost everyone knows the answer well, however, many people still ask: Who kidnapped and disappeared the economic researcher Ayman Hadhoud? And how did he die?
Everyone knows that he was detained by one of the security services, specifically the Ministry of Interior's National Security Agency (NSA), and disappeared in one of its headquarters for about two months; where he was later sent to the Abbasiya Psychiatric Hospital after he had been subjected to severe torture by NSA officers, without informing his family about his whereabouts.
Late on Saturday, 9 April 2022, the family of economic researcher Ayman Hadhoud announced the saddening news of his death after a period of enforced disappearance for more than two months. The news is very sad for Ayman's family and friends.
Economic researcher Ayman Hodhoud has been disappeared by the National Security Agency since early February in mysterious circumstances, according to his family, after informal contacts with a non-commissioned police officer at the NSA headquarters in the Amiriya, Cairo.
Ayman, a graduate of the American University in Cairo, was a sober economic researcher writing on various platforms, and writing his economics opinions on Facebook. But this did not prevent his arrest and disappearance two months ago, before his death was mysteriously announced. His family knew that late during his disappearance, he was sent to the Abbasiya Psychiatric Hospital, and no one understood what exactly happened to him.
Many people keep asking: Is torture has become a custom in Egypt?
Poor Egyptian citizens, along with graduates of the American University are usually exposed to torture inside the police stations, in prisons and at the headquarters of the National Security Agency, which may send a specific message that no one is exempt from death under torture in Egypt, and that there is no red line in that?
Have hospitals also become places of forcibly disappearing people along with officers of security services?
The Egyptian constitution clearly states in Article 54 that: Anyone whose freedom has been restricted must be immediately informed of the reasons behind this, be informed of his rights in writing, be able to contact his family and his lawyer immediately, and be sent to the investigation authority within twenty-four hours from the time of restriction of his freedom, where the investigation shall not start with him, except in the presence of his attorney.
Once again, many people ask: Where was Ayman during this whole period of two months? If arrested by the police, what was he arrested for? How did he enter the hospital without officially informing his family? The least right for his family is to know what happened to him, and who caused this, to be held accountable for the crime?
Activist Abdelrahman Gad wrote a tweet on his Twitter account, saying: The family of economic researcher Ayman Hadhoud announced his death after a period of enforced disappearance for more than two months. The tragic incident, through the information available by his family, indicates that the (Abbasiya) Psychiatric Hospital was turned into an illegal detention place under the control of the National Security Agency, which is a new pattern of the crime of enforced disappearance in Egypt.
If what has happened with Ayman took place in another country where there is a minimum rule of law, it would have led to the change of the regime and government and the prosecution of a lot of people – but unfortunately, we are in Egypt, where the rule of law is missing!
Security's narrative
However, authorities gave divergent accounts of the events surrounding Hadhoud's detention in February, according to Mada Masr.
The Interior Ministry denied on Sunday that Hadhoud was forcibly disappeared, stating that Hadhoud was arrested in Zamalek, Cairo, after a doorman reported that he was trying to break into an apartment and "initiating irresponsible behavior." In a statement, the ministry said that due legal process was followed at the time, after which the Public Prosecution referred him to the psychiatric hospital for evaluation.
However, hospital records said that Hadhoud was detained for attempting to steal a car in the city of Senbellawein in Daqahlia, an account which prosecutors at Nasr City Police Station 2 speaking with the Hadhoud family on Saturday repeated.
On his part, Ayman Hadhoud's brother, Omar, dismissed the two contradictory accounts, saying that the Public Prosecution and other security authorities had until Saturday denied knowledge of Hadhoud's whereabouts, despite the family's having requested to see him over recent weeks.
Learning that he was sent by the National Security Agency to the Abbasiya Psychiatric Hospital about a week after enforced disappearance and exposure to severe torture, the family tried to visit Hadhoud at the hospital, but their request was rejected by the hospital administration, which asked them to obtain permission from the prosecution. The family was unable to do so, as the prosecution denied having any information regarding Hadhoud at the time.
Late in March, the family was able to communicate with a member of staff at the Abbasiya Psychiatric Hospital, who informed them last Monday that Hadhoud had died in March. On Saturday, they received a call from Nasr City Police Station 2 telling them they could come to pick his body up from the hospital.
Omar, Ayman's brother, added that while obtaining a burial permit on Sunday, Hadhoud's family learned that the Public Prosecution had issued an order for Hadhoud to be buried in a charity cemetery as an unidentified body, even though they say he was in possession of his national ID card at the time of his disappearance.
