Egypt: 6 political prisoners died in detention in one week

The death of six detainees in Egyptian prisons in the space of one week has sparked concerns among rights groups, further highlighting terrible conditions in prisons across the country, the Egyptian Network for Human Rights (ENHR) reports.

According to the report, the six political prisoners died in a detention centre in the Sharqia governorate, while tens of thousands of other detainees enter their 12th year behind bars.

One of the prisoners was identified as Mohamed Farouk Hussein, 49, who was reportedly suffering from health issues and was finally transferred to Zagazig Hospital, where he died on Monday.

Hussein had suffered chest pains and shortness of breath for several weeks, with his requests for treatment repeatedly refused by prison authorities, the ENHR said.

“These deaths are a microcosm of the serious violations that occur in police detention centres in Egypt, amid a complete lack of oversight and inspection by the responsible authorities,” Ahmed El Attar, the Executive Director of ENHR, said in a statement cited by various news publications.

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