Former Brotherhood spokesman’s family accuses Egyptian Ministry of assault

A former spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has been beaten severely by security officials in the infamous Scorpion Prison, his family has alleged. Jihad Al-Haddad, his family claims, was left with temporary paralysis after the attack. The allegation could not be verified by security sources.

A statement by the family said that the attack follows a number of violations against Al-Haddad and his father, Dr Issam Al-Haddad, who was the assistant to the President before the overthrow of Dr Mohamed Morsi, the first elected civilian president of Egypt, in July 2013.

The family insists that Jihad Al-Haddad has been suffering from dizziness and loss of consciousness with the full knowledge of the prison authorities. Demands that he be sent to hospital for treatment have been refused, it is said. This, insists the family, is because the authorities want to cover up the violent treatment of the prisoner. Nevertheless, family members have confirmed that they are going to follow up their right to challenge the Interior Ministry and hold it responsible for his condition.

Media sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood have given publicity to the many allegations of violence against Dr Al-Haddad and his son. Dr Al-Haddad’s wife, Mona Imam, has also used social media to highlight the treatment of her husband and son by the authorities.

“I have been informed that, on Saturday, my son Jihad Al-Haddad was severely beaten in Scorpion Prison,” she wrote on Facebook. “Jihad is in a bad condition and he was beaten over the head until he lost the ability to move. There is a possibility of internal bleeding. He has issued a statement on the matter and asked to be sent to the hospital, but this was refused.”

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She said that if family members were refused permission to visit her son, then she would know that the allegations are true. “Doctors have agreed on the need for a CT scan on the brain, and the prison authorities refused to make any examinations. I have been informed that he was purposely and severely beaten over his head; the officer could have killed him.” Ms Imam appealed to international and local human rights organisations to save her son and husband, who was prevented from undergoing a cardiac catheterisation operation six months ago.

“This has led to the deterioration of his heart condition and to successive heart attacks” she concluded. “The Interior Ministry, the prison administration and state security officer Ahmed Saif are fully responsible for this criminal attack.”