On Wednesday, August 30, 2023, the Egyptian detainee Suhaib Emara was proclaimed dead in Al Wadi Al Gadid (the New Valley) prison in mysterious circumstances.
Emara is the son of Saad Emara, former Egyptian MP and head of the Defense and National Security Committee. He has been detained for about 10 years, along with his father and three of his brothers.
Emara was due to be released after serving his 10-year prison sentence.
Emara’s death sheds light on the poor detention conditions in Egyptian prisons and the deliberate medical negligence suffered by the detainees, stressing the urgent need for a fair and impartial investigation into his death and holding accountable those responsible for it.
Emara is the second prisoner to die in August 2023 in Egyptian prisons, raising the total number of those who have died in custody since the start of the year to 24 due to ill-treatment, medical negligence, poor detention conditions, and torture.
Inhumane detention conditions have long plagued Egypt’s prisons, adversely affecting prisoners’ rights to adequate medical treatment and health care.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that all persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.
