Death of detainee ‘Hasan Ziyadah’ after being suspected of contracting Coronavirus
Committee for Justice (CFJ) announced the death of a detainee in AlMahallah AlKoubra Police Station I, Gharbiyya governorate, after being suspected of contracting coronavirus/Covid-19.
The organization explained that ‘Hasan Ziyadah’ died after being transferred to AlMahallah AlKoubra Public Hospital with other two detainees after they were suspected of contracting coronavirus/Covid-19.
CFJ noticed that ‘Ziyadah’ was detained in AlMahallah AlKoubra Police Station I, in Gharbiyya governorate, after the Egyptian Security forces had arrested him and after the Public Prosecutor office issued a decision to detain him for a case of a political nature.
For its part, the police authority did not prompt to transfer the detainees suspected of contracting the virus to a hospital; it failed to take immediate medical measures on the onset of symptoms and did not undertake medical screening for the rest of detainees who mixed with the suspected cases.
AlMahallah Police Station I is renowned for its overcrowded detainees and lack of minimum standards of medical care, which threaten the lives of all detainees therein.
“The Prisons’ Service Directory continues to hide information about the spread of the Coronavirus inside prisons and detention facilities in Egypt. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior takes many measures to obstruct the public access of information about the real conditions inside prisons, which confirms the lack of credibility of the Ministry’s media statements which stand contrary to the reality” Ahmed Mefreh- Executive Director of Committee for Justice
Another person tested ‘positive’ in Qanater Men’s Prison
On the other hand, multiple sources of “Committee for Justice” confirmed that a detainee- whom we reserve his name for security necessities- was tested ‘positive’ for coronavirus in Qanater Men’s prison, northern Cairo.
At least 10 detainees were suspected of being injured last week. The prison’s authority isolated and undertook medical tests of, only three of them, which resulted in one positive result.
The prison authority did not provide medical screening of the rest of the prisoners who contacted that ‘positive’ case, although they are strongly suspected of being infected as many have already shown the disease symptoms, which indicates the weakness of protective measures inside the prison.
