Newspaper: Egyptian regime tortures Morsi to intimidate opposition

Spanish newspaper El País has published a report on former Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi. He is “being avenged by the current Egyptian regime, tortured in prison and used as an example to intimidate the opposition.”

In its report translated by Arab21, the newspaper said Morsi is living in harsh conditions in prison. He does not have a mattress in his cell, forced to sleep on the cold floor. Besides his isolation from the world, Morsi has been prevented from reading books and even newspapers. Under these conditions, the former president cannot meet his relatives or even other prisoners.

Besides these sanctions, Morsi is also prevented from receiving a doctor’s visit or the treatment for his chronic diseases. Many organisations have described Morsi’s situation as a “severe and harsh assault” and is a form of “torture”.

The newspaper quoted the former president’s younger son, Abdullah Morsi: “the family of the former president has only visited him twice since his imprisonment and the visits lasted only half an hour.” He added that “Morsi’s psychological condition was normal during the last visit (in 2017)… but, his physical condition was not well, and he has lost a lot of weight.”

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The newspaper explained that Morsi is imprisoned in the branch of Scorpion Prison, within Tora Prison, which is known for its abuses against political prisoners. There are other Muslim Brotherhood prisoners in this prison.

According to Egyptian NGOs, including the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the former president’s health could be at risk if he does not receive treatment for chronic diabetes. At sixty-six, Morsi suffered from rheumatism in his spine after sleeping on the ground for four years.

According to the Director of Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Mohamed Zaree: “preventing a prisoner from receiving medical treatment is torture, as confirmed by international human rights agreements.”

Zaree went on: “The tough conditions in which Morsi and other political prisoners are living are in line with the wish of the Egyptian regime, which wants to intimidate to the opposition”

Morsi’s son, Abdullah, does not hesitate to describe the violations against his father as “revenge.” He stressed that “his father and family will never accept this regime.” According to them, “Morsi is still the country’s legitimate president, and El-Sisi has no legitimacy to rule Egypt,” and they consider him a “coup leader… the Egyptian regime punishes Morsi for upholding his position.”

Abdullah does not know if any negotiations between Morsi and the current regime. Yet, Abdullah said that there were negotiations between the two parties during the first months of Morsi’s imprisonment. He confirmed that “Morsi received an offer from the Egyptian army and an Arab king, who provided a plane to carry him along with his whole family to safe exile for giving up his position.”