Female prisoners assaulted in Egypt

At least 25 female political prisoners have been severely injured as a result of physical assaults by the Qanater prison guards as well as criminal prisoners on Tuesday, lawyers and rights groups reported.

According to the Egyptian Observatory for Rights and Freedoms and lawyer Montaser alZayat, at least 25 anti-coup detainees held on charges of protesting have been beaten by both riot police and other criminal prisoners in the presence of prison guards, which led to severe injuries including fractures and serious bleeding.

According to Zayat, the incident started when one prison guard insulted a detained medical doctor called Samah, which angered female students who objected to insulted the doctor who has been arrested for providing food to al-Azhar students during the siege imposed by Egyptian police after the July 3 military coup.

When detained students objected to the insulting of Dr Samah, the prison manager mobilized his forces and physically assaulted students, who have later been moved to separate prisons.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Observatory for Rights and Freedoms said that criminal prisoners have also taken part in assaulting students amidst “complicity” by the prison officials. The rights group condemned the attack as “incompatible with chivalry and honor, and contrary to international human rights norms and conventions.”