Eroding Dissent: Egypt’s Detention of Economist Abdel Khaleq Farouk

October 21, 2024 – Egypt –

Egyptian security forces arrested eminent economist and commentator Abdel Khaleq Farouk, 67, from his Cairo home over critical posts on Facebook targeting President Abdel-Fattah el‑Sisi’s economic agenda, including the New Administrative Capital project and the Gaza war stance. He was formally charged with “joining a terrorist organization,” “spreading false news,” and “misusing social media,” marking a stark escalation in Egypt’s crackdown on economic and political discourse.

Farouk appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on October 21, initiating a cycle of pretrial detentions renewed repeatedly, most recently for an additional 45 days on May 12, 2025. Authorities have maintained he poses a security threat despite his longstanding residence and lack of flight risk.

Since his detention, his physical and mental health have sharply declined. Reports from the Committee for Justice (CFJ) and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) indicate Farouk suffers from coronary disease, diabetes, and hypertension, and has endured multiple heart attacks—most recently in January 2025—while confined in overcrowded, poorly ventilated cells with minimal sunlight and exposure. His wife has been denied visitation rights and the ability to deliver medication, while prison authorities reportedly ignore his complaints about unsanitary conditions, including rodent infestations.

International rights organizations, including PEN America, CFJ, EIPR, and CPJ, have condemned the detention as politically motivated and emblematic of Egypt’s suppression of dissent. CFJ has called the conditions “inhumane,” warning Farouk risks irreversible harm or death, and urged his release or an end to pretrial detention. EIPR cited violations of inmate rights under domestic prison regulations and termed his treatment potentially criminal under the Elderly Rights Care Law.

Farouk’s case typifies broader repression: Egypt ranks among the world’s worst jailers of journalists, with tens of thousands held in pretrial detention on “terrorism” charges for peaceful criticism. Targeting a respected economist for commentary highlights the regime’s intolerance for examined economic policies. Unless domestic reforms materialize and international pressure escalates, Egypt’s political detention apparatus and prison abuses are likely to persist unchecked.

Reference –

Egyptian authorities arrest economic commentator Abdel Khaleq Farouk

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egyptian-security-forces-arrest-economist-abdel-khaleq-farouk