40 deaths in Egyptian jails in a month

A report published yesterday described Egypt’s prisons as cemeteries, adding that 40 prisoners died while in custody last month, either in prison or in police stations.

The Arab Organisation for Human Rights in Britain issued a report entitled “The Cemeteries of the Living” about the reality of Egypt’s prisons and holding cells, and what’s being committed inside as a result of torture, deliberate medical negligence and administrative corruption in managing these premises.

The report said that the Egyptian authorities do not care about detainees’ lives, as cells are overcrowded and corruption is rife. Moreover, systematic torture and deliberate medical negligence are very common, turning prisons into official cemeteries where dozens of lives are in danger.

The report added that the congestion inside cells exceeds 160 per cent of the prison’s absorptive capacity and more than 300 per cent in police stations, according to official statements.

The high congestion rates, the report explained, are directly attributed to the repressive policy pursued by the Egyptian authorities against opponents through the enactment of laws and regulations which limit freedoms, criminalise freedom of opinion and expression, demonise opponents and categorise them as serious criminals, until prisons and detention centres are filled by them.

It added that the authorities, in spite of the current situation, are expanding in remanding those accused in custody without a time limit or clear trial date, to the extent that this has become the default situation for authorities to deal with any opposition-related issues. As the authorities insist on suppressing freedoms, they’ve been forced to open six new prisons since 3 July 2013, in addition to two prisons that are currently under construction.

The report said that August 2015 saw the biggest number of detainees since 3 July 2013. Of the 40 who died in their cells, 19 were remanded without charge.