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Rights group: Egypt hindering investigation into prisoner torture

October 24, 2016 at 12:23 pm

Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) has accused the country’s Ministry of Interior of limiting access to prisoners in an effort to cover up cases of torture.

NCHR council member, George Ishak, said: “As long as we have to obtain permission [from the Ministry of Interior] before inspecting prisons, those visits are useless.”

He added that the Egyptian authorities had disregarded the council’s demands and concealed evidence which proves abuses are taking place in prisons.

As a member of the NCHR, he has decided not to participate in further prison inspections until there is a change in policy. A new law submitted earlier by the council, which is still under discussion, allows council members to visit prisons after notifying jail authorities, without the need for obtaining special permission from the Ministry of Interior.

Speaking to Quds Press, Ishak said the council had submitted a request to the interior ministry three months ago about its intention to visit the Tora, or Al-Aqrab, prison after it received a number of complaints from detainees’ families.

He said the ministry tried to deter council members from entering the prison or its hospital to inspect living conditions adding that it has not allowed any such visits. Prison management has also prevented council members from meeting detainees to question them about the treatment they receive. Authorities said prisoners refused to be interviewed however this was later disproved, Ishak explained.