Four detainees died in Egyptian prisons between August 31 and September 2, said the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday, denouncing the "
negligence
" of the prison authorities.
“
A 62-year-old Egyptian man, whose family based in the United States has repeatedly pleaded for his release for health reasons, died on September 2, 2020 in Tora prison (...) in Cairo, after two years in detention without trial,
”HRW said in a statement.
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Arrested in 2018, Ahmed Abdel Nabi Mahmoud was accused of "
belonging to a terrorist group, apparently in reference to the Muslim Brotherhood
", an Islamist brotherhood which is the subject of relentless repression in Egypt, continues the NGO.
Three other detainees --Sobhi al-Sakka, Chaabane Hussein Khaled and Abdel Rahman Youssef Zawal - died on August 31 and September 1, respectively in Alexandria (North), Fayoum (West) and in the capital, it is said. in the HRW press release, which is based on a report by the local NGO Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms.
"
Authorities must open a full investigation into the causes of Ahmed Mahmoud's death to determine whether there was medical negligence
Said Joe Stork, deputy director of HRW's Middle East office.
In recent years, the deaths of several inmates in prison, including former President Mohamed Morsi and young director Chadi Habache, have led Egypt to accusations of negligence on the part of human rights defenders.
"
Detainees and prisoners continue to die incarcerated in Egypt despite frequent requests for proper care (...) This reflects unacceptable negligence on the part of the Egyptian prison authorities,
" added Mr. Stork.
In addition, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, several NGOs, including HRW, have denounced the increase in infections and deaths due to overcrowding, poor sanitary conditions and the lack of care in the Egyptian prison environment.
In mid-August, Issam el-Eriane, an Egyptian leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, also died in prison.
Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in 2014, a ruthless wave of repression has descended on the opposition, Islamist as well as liberal.
Egypt has around 60,000 political prisoners, according to human rights NGOs.
