Deadly conditions of Egyptian hunger striking prisoners

Egyptian prisoner Gehad El-Haddad’s mother has released a testimony about her daughter-in-law’s visit to her son at Al-Aqrab Prison on Facebook on Friday:

My daughter-in-law, the wife of Gehad El-Haddad, went to visit him today in Al-Aqrab cemetery, along with the wife of Mahmoud El-Barbary. Both men have undertaken a hunger strike since Wednesday 24 February. This is what happened today:

• Gehad suffers from severe fatigue and dark circles surrounded his eyes. His colleague, Mahmoud El-Barbary, was talking to his wife in the next room when he suddenly fell out of his chair and lost consciousness; his head hit the ground so hard it made a large thud. Gehad ran to him and lifted him to try to reawaken him so he could complete the visit and reassure his mother and wife from behind the glass barrier… but he was completely unconscious and was taken to the so called “prison clinic”.
• Gehad confirmed that a large number of Brotherhood leaders joined the hunger strike. One of them is being held in jail unit 2 in ward four, where his father Dr. Essam El-Haddad and 17 Brotherhood leaders are also held.
• Gehad and other detainees, including journalists, confirmed that many interior ministry and prison officials came to see them several times (every two days) threatening that anyone participating in the strike would be killed… stressing they’d be killed… in addition to isolating them in prison particularly in the New Valley prison which has a terrible reputation, and where they will be killed as threatened. My son confirmed this threat as did a number of detainees to their families during visits.
• My son said that everyone in Al-Aqrab Prison insists on participating in the strike, and they are determined to complete their strike until they achieve their right for humanitarian treatment in the prison, the strict prison which is known as the cemetery. It was called a cemetery because they have been killing them since they entered the prison by depriving them of all the basics of life, in addition to humiliating them and tearing away at their dignity at every moment. The situation worsened in recent weeks when detainees’ wives and daughters, and even young children were beaten.
  I would prefer for my son to die with dignity during the hunger strike rather than to die suppressed and surrendering to his killers…hungry, thirsty, sick in his solitary custody.

These criminals left them and deprived them of everything that binds them to life, even their hands were out to brutalise their wives, children and they also looted the little they had to pay for the so called “detainee meals”.

My son said to his wife today after he saw his colleague in the strike lying on the ground in front of his mother and his wife: “We are insisting to strike till the end…nothing binds us with life.”

Every day, new groups join the hunger strike. God willing you can’t harm. Are you threatening them with death? You have been killing them every day for two years. They are waiting to die at any moment. How can a person live in a cemetery, completely closed off without a single opening for weeks on end, after it has been stripped of everything… everything… and family visits aren’t allowed except after immense pressure from human rights organisations.
I, Dr. Mona Imam, declared my full solidarity with the hunger strike being undertaken by my son, engineer Gehad El-Haddad, and my husband, Dr. Essam El-Haddad.

I hold the Ministry of the Interior, prison authorities and those responsible at the “cemetery prison” fully responsible for my son and my husband’s lives.

And Allah has full power and control over His affairs but most people do not know.