Egypt: Essam El-Erian transferred to military hospital for surgery

Deputy head of the Freedom and Justice Party, Dr Essam El-Erian, was transferred to a military hospital on Monday after suffering severe back pain, Anadolu news agency reported.

El-Erian’s lawyer told Anadolu that El-Erian has been transferred to Tora prison hospital due to severe back pain which requires emergency surgery. However, he pointed out that El-Erian is expecting to be transferred to a public hospital to undergo the surgery because the prison hospital is not well-equipped for surgeries.

El-Erian was sentenced in April to one year in prison for “insulting the judiciary.”

He is standing trial on myriad charges, including “incitement to violence” and “espionage”, which he categorically denies and considers “politically-motivated.”