Amidst growing reports of the worsening conditions of political prisoners in Egyptian prisons and the absence of essential medical care, Abdel Samad Rabie Abdel Rahman, a prisoner with cancer, is experiencing a serious health issue while his basic medical needs are being neglected.
He is charged with “joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, using violence against public individuals, and vandalizing property,” charges that the regime uses to persecute its critics. The court extended his detention for 45 days in case No. 2468 of 2023, Supreme State Security, during a procedural session held by the Cairo Criminal Court in the Terrorism Circuit on Tuesday.
Investigations were not conducted because Abdel Samad used video technology to appear from his prison cell on the “10th of Ramadan” in a wheelchair and in a declining state of health. He told the judge that he is exposed to what he called “slow death” and that he suffers from a severe state of weakness brought on by cancer.
Abdel Samad, who drafted his will while incarcerated and asked for it to be sent to his family, testified in court that he requires the monthly medical care required for his illness. He cited the prison’s deficiency in medical facilities for cancer patients, which puts his life in jeopardy.
With a proposal to implement precautionary measures in line with the Criminal Procedure Code, his attorney emphasized that there was insufficient evidence to support his continued detention and asked that he be released on any guarantee the court deemed appropriate to preserve his life.
In light of the continued suffering of other political prisoners in Egyptian jails, where repeated reports of medical malpractice and a lack of medical attention endanger the lives of many, it is necessary to call on the international community and human rights organizations to free them and give them the humane treatment they need.
