Egyptian party leader alleges torture in jail

The deputy leader of Egypt’s Al-Wassat Party has alleged that he has been tortured for 16 consecutive days during his detention by the authorities. Essam Sultan told a court on Sunday that he has been given “sewage water” to drink and was denied warm clothing, despite the cold winter weather. The prison administration, he claimed, only provided him with a white jacket to wear in court, but no proper garments.

“How can you prosecute me while my free will has been confiscated for 16 days of pre-trial detention?” Sultan asked the court, where he has been charged with “insulting the judiciary”.

He insists that the reason for his trial is the fact that he revealed that important case files had disappeared with regards to the so-called “Battle of the Camels” during the 2011 revolution. He was also very critical of the decision of the courts to acquit the defendants accused of killing protesters during the revolution.