Former opposition MP Zyad Elelaimy’s name removed from terrorist lists, assets unfrozen

MP Zyad Elelaimy was removed from the terrorist list on Monday and his assets unfrozen according to Saturday’s edition of the Official Gazette.

For Elelaimy, the decisions mark an end to the restrictions he has faced since 2019. 

He is the latest among a group of activists and political figures to emerge after facing prosecution for forming a political group called “The Plan for Hope” that was aiming to run in the 2020 parliamentary elections.

Following his arrest in 2019 for organizing with the group to field candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections, Eleimy spent over three years in detention until his eventual early release.

It would take more time to address Elelaimy’s other restrictions placed upon him by the state in relation to the case, which included a freeze on his assets and a travel ban. “The process began when I filed three grievances to the Public Prosecution regarding Elelaimy’s case, requesting it lift the asset freeze, the travel ban and remove him from the terrorist list,” defense lawyer Khaled Ali told Mada Masr.

Anyone suspected of terrorism charges can be added to national terrorist lists, which allow for a judicial freeze of funds and travel bans, even without conviction. Thousands of people have been added to these lists following their participation in opposition political activity or rights work.

The Public Prosecution decided to lift the freeze on Eleilemy’s assets on November 26 and the Cairo Criminal Court upheld the decision on Saturday, said lawyer Khaled Ali.

Elelaimy said that he was informed he would be removed from the terrorist list and would regain access to his assets early, via presidential candidate and Egyptian Social Democratic Party head Farid Zahran.

After hearing the news, he had to wait a few days before restrictions were lifted officially with their publication in the Official Gazette. “I tried to go out and finish some work procedures, since I heard that my assets were unfrozen. But my assets were still frozen,” he told Mada Masr.

Once the decision was published in Saturday’s edition of the Official Gazette, he regained his freedom.

It marked the end of over four long years of judicial restrictions. Elelaimy, along with political figure Hossam Moanis and journalist Hisham Fouad were first arrested on 25 June 2019 during a security campaign which targeted people planning to run for parliament in 2020.

An investigation accused the defendants of an alleged plot " to finance anti-state activities and carry out acts of violence" based on the “establishment of illegal cash flows from abroad in collaboration with the Muslim Brotherhood in hostile countries,” according to the Interior Ministry at the time.

After a prolonged period in remand detention without trial, they were sentenced in November 2021. Elelaimy was set to serve five years in prison on charges of spreading false news to undermine the state and national security. 

After opposition groups demanded the release of political prisoners as part of the National Dialogue – a state-run forum for political discussion launched in 2022 – Eleilaimy, Fouad and Moanis were granted presidential pardon and released early from prison.

Moanis was the first in “The Plan for Hope” case to have his assets unfrozen and his name removed from the terrorist  lists in November this year. 

Fouad, however, is still subject to an asset freeze and his name is still on terrorist lists, according to Ali. His assets were frozen in 2015, prior to the “The Plan for Hope” case, as part of a state campaign to seize the assets of blacklisted groups, most notably the Muslim Brotherhood.