Veteran Egyptian politician Khaled Mohieddine, who helped overthrow the Egyptian monarchy decades ago, passed away in Cairo on Sunday at the age of 95.
Mohieddine suffered age-related health problems and was taken to a military hospital several days ago.
Sayyed Abdulaal, head of the National Progressive Unionist Party that Mohieddine founded in 1976, confirmed his passing.
He was one of the military leaders of the Free Officers Movement, led by Egypt's Arab nationalist leader Gamal Abdul Nasser. The movement helped topple King Farouk in July 1952.
Born to a wealthy family in the Qalyubia province, north of Cairo, in 1922, Mohieddine graduated from Egypt's military academy in 1940. He also gained a bachelor's degree in commerce from the Cairo University.
He led an eventful life and clashed with Abdul Nasser when the latter called on the army to release their grip on power in 1954.
He was the last surviving member of the Revolutionary Command Council, an executive body that ran Egypt till 1956, when Nasser was elected as Egypt's president.
He then led the “bread revolt” in 1977 during the term of late President Anwar al-Sadat. Sadat had at the time accused the leftists of stoking popular anger over rising prices.
He was a member of the Egyptian parliament from 1990 to 2005 and his party, as a leftist opposition group, won several seats in parliament under former President Hosni Mubarak.
Mohieddine was known among Egyptian military circles as the “red officer” given his socialist leanings despite being born to a wealthy family.
Despite understandings and agreements reached during Mubarak’s term, Mohieddine remained a source of concern for the authorities. His party took part in the January 25, 2011 revolt that overthrew the president.
He was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1970 and in 2013, interim President Adli Mansour awarded him the Nile medal, Egypt's highest honor. By that time, Mohieddine had stepped down as head of the National Progressive Unionist Party due to old age.
Other members of his family also delved into politics. His cousin, Zakaria Mohieddine, formed Egypt’s general intelligence agency. Another relative, Mahmoud Mohieddine, is an international economist and served as a minister in Egypt until 2011.
President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi mourned Mohieddine as the "symbol of national political action" and offered his condolences to the family, according to a statement by the presidency.
