Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) said that deaths due to deliberate medical negligence in Egyptian prisons are increasing significantly. It warned that neglecting the conditions of the detainees and not providing the necessary medical care, especially for those suffering from chronic diseases, would lead to a disaster.
Since the beginning of this year, 12 political detainees have died tragically due to medical negligence and the poor detention conditions in prisons, which reflects the worsening health care and the complete disregard for the basic human rights of detainees.
Those dead in prison this year are Madian Ibrahim Mohamed Hassanein, Sameh Mohamed Ahmed Mansour, Mohamed Gomaa, Ragab Mohamed Abu Zeid, Ramadan Youssef Ashry, Mohamed Mustafa Badawi, Mohamed El-Sayed El-Mursi, Saad Mahmoud Abdelghani Khedr, Mahmoud Al-Didamoni, and Sameh Tolba.
Since 2014, the death toll of those who died in prisons under the current regime has reached at least 1020. AOHR UK pointed out that the number is likely to increase given the increased distress calls received from detainees and their families. Moreover, the current authorities refuse to implement the Egyptian prison regulations by releasing political prisoners whose health conditions are critical and cannot be treated in detention facilities or prison hospitals.
The Egyptian authorities have been ignoring repeated human rights recommendations and appeals by international and civil society organisations to improve conditions, despite a large number of deaths, which confirms the regime’s disregard for the lives of dissidents in prisons.
The newly built Badr Prison currently tops the list of notorious prisons in Egypt. Detainees have been leaking messages seeking help from the outside world to save them from the graves they are living in, where they lack medical care, face starvation, and are deprived of contacting their families.
AOHR UK confirmed that the death of detainees due to medical negligence amounts to intentional homicide, as the authorities did not take the necessary measures to save the lives of those who suffered diseases due to poor detention conditions, or those who were suffering from serious illnesses since their arrest and whose condition worsened due to medical negligence.
AOHR UK called on the international community, especially countries having ties with the Egyptian regime, to intervene urgently to save the lives of tens of thousands of detainees, and to provide the necessary medical care for all prisoners.
