In Egypt, the death toll among detainees and prisoners continues to climb due to the relentless violations committed by the Egyptian regime, including deliberate medical neglect and abhorrent detention conditions.
The latest victim is political prisoner Sheikh Ali Amer (61 years old), who was held at El-Santa Center in Gharbia Governorate, Delta Egypt. Sadly, he passed away in Borg El-Arab Prison, a victim of medical neglect.
Amer’s arrest in 2016 was politically motivated, and his death marks the first fatality in prisons and detention centres in July. Tragically, he is the 18th victim this year alone. During the first half of the year, a staggering 17 deaths occurred in Egyptian prisons and detention centres, primarily due to medical neglect and the dire conditions of confinement.
In 2022, 52 prisoners lost their lives, whether as a result of deliberate medical neglect, harsh weather conditions, or dying naturally in deplorable and inhumane detention conditions. Such circumstances render even natural deaths abnormal and alarming.
Official authorities consistently refuse to disclose the death toll in prisons and detention centers, perpetuating a veil of secrecy.
Egyptian prisons and detention centers are witnessing an alarming surge in deaths, while international bodies, such as the International Red Cross Committee, are denied access for inspection. Consequently, prisons remain isolated from any meaningful oversight, leaving only the public prosecution, which largely fails to investigate torture crimes and becomes complicit in covering up the actions of perpetrators.
It is crucial to note that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights explicitly mandates that “deprived prisoners should be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.” However, Egypt’s treatment of detainees falls far short of these obligations.
