Swiss human rights foundation calls for independent investigation into Abu Zuhri's death

The ‘Human Rights for All’ Swiss Foundation demanded the Egyptian authorities to “open an urgent and independent investigation” into the circumstances of Yousef Abu Zuhri’s death, Hamas Palestinian movement spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri’s brother, who was detained in an Egyptian prison — especially in light of Abu Zuhri relatives’ talks about being tortured to death.

A statement issued Wednesday, October 14, by the foundation explained that: “We look with deep concern at what happened with the Palestinian Gaza-based detainee, Yousef Hamdan Abu Zuhri, 38, whose death was officially confirmed by the Egyptian authorities which sent his body to his family in Gaza.” The statement insists on the merits of establishing an independent investigatory committee to look into the circumstances of Abu Zuhri’s death and to reprimand the officials in an attempt to prevent any other similar incidents from taking place.

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‘Human Rights for All’, Geneva-based, drew the attention to Abu Zuhri family’s story which tells that its son was severely tortured by members of the Egyptian Intelligence Service to death. It is worth mentioning that he was arrested by Egyptian authorities on April 28, 2009, while crossing the Egyptian borders.

The Foundation also stressed the importance of unveiling the facts behind Abu Zuhri’s detention and investigating into the given information about his severe bleeding during the past two weeks, resulted from his torture, which was dealt with rudely by the Egyptian prisons as he was taken to hospital after his condition had deteriorated.

‘Human Rights for All’ called upon the Egyptian authorities to stop violating the fundamental human rights as well as abusing its prisoners with beating, torture, and degrading treatment since this is seen as “grave breaches of the Egyptian government’s obligations to respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

In the same context, the Foundation expressed its strong condemnation of the Egyptian government for the “unjustifiable detention of the Palestinian Ayman Nofal and the torture he suffered,” and demanded the Egyptian government to immediately release him and enable him to return to his family and children.

It explained that Nofal was arrested on January 27, 2008, along with many other Gaza-based Palestinian citizens who visited Egypt for shopping. Although all the other detainees were subsequently released after this incident the Egyptian authorities continue to hold Nofal in detention.

Source: Quds Press