CAIRO — Adel al-Hassan, an active member of Tamarrod, or the Rebellion Initiative — the independent movement that collected millions of signatures demanding the country’s first freely elected president to step down — was shot on Sunday, June 9. He suffered a brain hemorrhage that left him partially paralyzed.

“He is well known for his political activism and for being Tamarrod’s representative; he was targeted while calling people to stand in the face of those oppressing them,” said Mohamed Hussien, a friend of the victim who talked to Al-Monitor at the eastern Cairo public hospital where Hassan is kept under medical surveillance. Hussien stood beside Hassan when three birdshot bullets were fired at them; bullet fragments injured his right arm.

Ahmed al-Hassan, the victim’s older brother, and Ahmed Abu Ghazala, a younger member of Tamarrod who works regularly with Hassan, both confirmed that this is not the first time they were attacked by members of President Mohammed Morsi’s home organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, or its Islamist affiliates.

“Adel was definitely targeted; every eyewitness confirmed that it was not a random shooting incident. But since the attacker remains unknown, we cannot accuse anyone,” Abu Ghazala told Al-Monitor.