In 1988, after a debate among board members, followed by an institutional consultation with members of EOHR on whether to heed the authorities' warning or not, Hassan was elected as the Secretary General of EOHR, marking the beginning of a transformation in its discourse and mission, as it also started to document abuses against Islamists and advocate for their rights, despite the organization's strong secular orientation. It's noteworthy that the first detailed report on torture to be issued by an Egyptian organization was released under Hassan's time as Secretary General, as well as the first time for an Egyptian NGO to submit reports and complaints to the UN. It is during that period that other prominent human right defenders and intellectuals such as Mohamed el Sayed Said and Negad El Borai established a working relationship with Hassan.