On May 15, 2025, Egyptian opposition figure and former presidential hopeful Hisham Kassem was sentenced in absentia to six months in prison for defaming a former minister. Kassem, who is currently abroad, was not notified of the new charges, prompting concerns from his lawyer about the legal process. Human rights organizations have condemned the ruling as politically motivated and indicative of continued judicial persecution aimed at silencing dissent.
This latest sentence follows Kassem’s previous six-month imprisonment in 2023, which prevented him from participating in the December 2023 presidential election. Despite the release of some political prisoners since 2022, human rights groups report that many more have been detained under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s administration, reflecting ongoing concerns about political repression in Egypt.