A Cairo University student expelled shortly after joining a Gaza solidarity campaign has now missed all his midterms, as officials delay a decision on whether to reinstate him.
Hossam Mahmoud, a second-year student at the Faculty of Mass Communication, submitted a formal appeal to university leadership in late September after being expelled for allegedly failing to meet the required 32 academic hours by the midterm cutoff.
“I submitted the appeal last Tuesday,” he told Al Manassa. “I went to the university the next day to follow up, but there had been no progress.”
Mahmoud says he learned of his dismissal on Sept. 29 only by accident, and only after he had already taken his exams. “I didn’t commit any violation that would warrant being expelled — especially since I sat my exams normally on the 15th and 16th of the month. The results were released on the 27th without any issues or prior warning.”
Activism, and its timing
Mahmoud did not directly blame his dismissal on politics — but noted the timing. In early September, he was publicly named the media spokesperson for the Egyptian Sumud Flotilla, an Egyptian civil initiative aimed at breaking the blockade on Gaza by delivering aid.
“I can’t say for certain my political activity was the reason,” he said. “But the decision came right when I was appearing at events in support of Palestine, as spokesperson for the Egyptian Flotilla.”
On Sept. 6, Mahmoud was among 55 activists who announced plans to participate in the campaign. Soon after, three members of the flotilla’s organizing committee, not including Mahmoud, were arrested and later released on bail, pending investigation in State Security Case No. 7478/2025.
Bureaucratic confusion
Following the expulsion, Mahmoud visited student affairs and says he provided proof that he had in fact completed the required credit hours.
“They told me there might be a technical error or administrative mistake, and that it would be corrected,” he said.
But he later learned the faculty council had already ratified the decision to dismiss him, and was advised to file an official grievance, which he did on Sept. 30.
His lawyer, Mamdouh Gamal, visited the university’s legal affairs office on Oct. 19 to follow up. On the same day, the faculty dean met with department deputies and reportedly recommended Mahmoud’s re-enrollment “to protect his academic future.” However, final approval would still require a vote by the university’s central council.
On Oct. 28, Mahmoud received a call from someone who said they were with university administration. He was told that the issue had been resolved and his enrollment reinstated.
But when he went to campus to confirm, the vice dean for student affairs informed him the decision was still pending, and had yet to be approved by the university council.
Midterms missed, year at risk
As of today, Nov. 20, Mahmoud has missed the entire midterm exam period, which ran from Nov. 9–20.
“I’m still waiting for the university council’s approval,” he said. “But I’m afraid I’ll lose the academic year. The midterms are over now.”
Mahmoud has formally requested a special examination committee be formed to allow him to sit for his missed exams. “If I don’t take the exams, I’ll lose the whole semester,” he explained. “And that means I won’t be able to choose a specialization next year, which is a requirement for graduation. That would mean losing next year as well.”
Legal pressure builds
On Nov. 12, Mahmoud’s lawyer filed a formal legal warning to the president of Cairo University, the dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication, and the vice dean for student affairs. The warning, registered as Notice No. 20034 at South Giza Court, called for the immediate ratification of the faculty’s recommendation to re-enroll Mahmoud — and for the university to establish a special committee allowing him to take his midterms.
The university has not responded publicly to the legal filing.
