On 9 March last year, the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior banned prison visits under the pretext of curbing the spread of Covid-19. Three months into the ban, 69-year-old Amira Tawfiq could no longer stand being unable to communicate with her son in jail. She travelled from Alexandria where she lives, to Tora Prison (known as “Scorpion Prison”) in Cairo and waited for hours at the prison gate, but was not allowed to see her son. She lost consciousness while on her way back home, and died without hearing from him by letter or phone. Egyptian authorities prohibit family contact from the moment a person is arrested. On 23 December 2018, Ahmed Abdel Nabi, 60, called his grandchildren from inside … Continue reading Egypt’s prisoners are denied their rights and prison authorities appear to be above the law