Egypt detainees say they were tortured again following video leaks

Detainees at Egypt’s Al-Salam Police Station in Cairo claim they suffered renewed torture following leaks of secret filming of abuse.

The previous leaks last month depict some detainees being hung from a metal grate by their arms, while others had sustained wounds across their chests and back, allegedly at the hands of police officers beating them with sticks. The videos had been sent to MEMO and the Guardian through a mobile phone.

Earlier this month it was reported that family members of the relatives held at the police station have been unable to contact them following the leaks.

Egypt’s public prosecutor responded by releasing a statement insisting that the injuries were self-inflicted by the inmates who used metal coins to injure each other.

However, a new video has been leaked from the same source who informed MEMO that the same detainees faced increased torture as a result of the initial videos.

READ: Egypt prisoners tortured to give up names, says ex-detainee

One inmate, speaking to the camera directly addressed President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi and explained that he was arrested while at work. Instead of being released after a few hours “as they usually do”, he was instead transferred to the public prosecutor who asked for evidence against him which was not produced. The detainee said he was later tortured, to the extent that he no longer can move one of his arms and hands in the way he could previously.

Another man is seen claiming others were accused of belonging to the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood, however he insists they are not even Muslims, before proceeding to show their forearms to the camera, in an apparent reference to the Coptic cross tattoos commonly worn on the wrists.

One former detainee-turned exiled activist, Aly Hussin Mahdy was quoted by the Guardian as saying “Police stations are even worse than prisons.”

“The revolution happened because of this, and 11 years later we see it happening again.”

Despite a prohibition on all forms of torture according to Egypt’s 2014 constitution, the practise continues to take place across police and military prisons and detention centres, with the number of documented cases having increased since 2011. Furthermore, trials and convictions of security officials accused of carrying out torture or causing deaths in police custody remain extremely rare.

READ: ‘Egypt is the republic of fear:’ New videos show torture of prisoners inside Katameya Prison