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Abdelrahman ElGendy

Abdelrahman ElGendy

Abdelrahman ElGendy is a former political prisoner in Egypt who spent more than six years behind bars, from Oct. 6, 2013, until his release on Jan. 13, 2020. He was arrested at 17, and left prison at 24. While in prison, he earned a mechanical engineering degree from Ain Shams University. In prison, his smuggled writings were published online, and he has continued to write for several platforms since his release.

Latest from Abdelrahman ElGendy

Kevin Hart’s Tour in Cairo Sparks Debate on Afrocentrism and the Pharaohs

Kevin Hart’s Tour in Cairo Sparks Debate on Afrocentrism and the Pharaohs

Egyptians have not taken kindly to Hart’s comments about ancient Egypt, and a viral campaign was launched, calling for the cancellation of the show of the superstar they accused of “blackwashing” and “stealing their history.”

Abdelrahman ElGendy
Women’s Rights Groups in Egypt and Lebanon Take Aim at Saad Lamjarred

Women’s Rights Groups in Egypt and Lebanon Take Aim at Saad Lamjarred

The joint campaigns may not succeed this time around, but that doesn’t change the undeniable fact: A shift is taking place in the women’s rights sphere in the region, one that diversifies the means of holding sexual offenders accountable for their crimes.

Abdelrahman ElGendy
What a Hunger Strike in Egypt Says About Power

What a Hunger Strike in Egypt Says About Power

Only when I experienced prison myself and grasped the power dynamics did I understand: Prisoners go on hunger strikes not because they cannot resist anymore but because the only act of resistance left to reclaim their body is to destroy it.

Abdelrahman ElGendy
The Power of a Smile in Prison

The Power of a Smile in Prison

The guard snapped at me that he will shoot the picture and take it to the chief intelligence officer, and then I’ll regret not having shut my mouth. I kept my mouth stretched in the widest smile.

Abdelrahman ElGendy
When I Spent Six Years Behind Bars, a Smuggled T-shirt Took on Deeper Meaning

When I Spent Six Years Behind Bars, a Smuggled T-shirt Took on Deeper Meaning

In prison, one is not just broken by torture, beatings and violent treatment. It is the continuous, systemic and unrelenting dehumanization that wrecks you in the end.

Abdelrahman ElGendy