The “Article 55” Coalition issued its monthly report for March 2025, addressing the situation in detention centers and prisons across Egypt, warning of an escalating rate of serious violations occurring within these facilities during March 2025. The coalition confirmed that these violations continue to occur amid the authorities’ silence and deliberate disregard for constitutional and international standards concerning detainees’ rights.
– Human Rights Situation in March 2025:
During the past month of March, Egypt witnessed a new wave of arbitrary arrests, particularly targeting workers who staged a sit-in protest rejecting their exclusion from a decision to raise the minimum wage. Security agencies arrested several of them, charging them with offenses such as “unlawful assembly” and “disruption of production,” reflecting systematic use of the law as a tool to suppress dissent.
Sixty-five individuals were referred for interrogation before the Supreme State Security Prosecution within the first days of the month, while 56 others were released in what appeared to be an attempt to promote a non-existent “human rights improvement.”
On the humanitarian front, activist Alaa Abdel Fattah continued his hunger strike after completing his prison sentence. Foreign countries and international organizations called for his release, but Egyptian authorities have not responded. Additionally, an Egyptian member of parliament submitted an inquiry regarding Abdel Fattah’s ongoing arbitrary detention.
– Legal Developments and Judicial Practices:
This month also saw the passage of the Medical Liability Law by the House of Representatives, which sparked widespread controversy among doctors due to unbalanced penalties, despite some positive amendments such as the removal of pre-trial detention provisions.
In another alarming move, the House of Representatives finally approved the prisoner transfer agreement between Egypt and the UAE, raising concerns about the fate of poet Abdul Rahman Yousef, who has been arbitrarily detained since being handed over from Lebanon to the UAE in December last year.
Furthermore, a decision by the President of the Cairo Court of Appeal to increase judicial fees came into effect, prompting widespread opposition from lawyers who deemed it unconstitutional. They announced intentions to challenge the decision through legal channels.
– Summary of Violations in Prisons and Detention Facilities:
The “Article 55” Coalition documented numerous severe violations inside Egyptian prisons throughout March 2025, including:
– The death of agricultural engineer Nabil Farfour (65 years old) inside the Damanhour Security Directorate facility due to deliberate medical negligence and lack of necessary treatment despite prior knowledge of his deteriorating health condition by detention authorities.
– Protests within Wadi Natrun Prison (Block 6) in response to repressive practices, as detainees refused to receive government-issued supplies (“al-tasheer al-miri”), viewing it as an escalation that could lead to a full-scale hunger strike.
– Brutal physical assaults carried out by prison officers, supported by National Security officers, using sticks and whips, handcuffing detainees, and placing them in disciplinary cells without oversight.
– Recurrent medical neglect worsened the condition of detainee Mohamed Ibrahim Abdel Malek following a complex surgical procedure, with no adequate healthcare provided, adding financial strain on his family.
– Continued suffering of Dr. Basma Refaat inside prison under dire health conditions without any medical intervention, despite having been detained since 2016 and sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
– The deteriorating health of elderly detainee Gamal Ahmed Sawi (70 years old) at Minya Scorpion Prison, who suffers from acute liver cirrhosis without receiving any treatment and is now at risk of slow death, especially after being deprived of his pension for more than a year.
The “Article 55” Coalition affirms that the violations recorded throughout March 2025 are not isolated or random incidents; rather, they are a direct reflection of systematic policies adopted by security and judicial authorities in dealing with detainees, especially political prisoners.
The coalition further highlights that the absence of accountability mechanisms and a prevailing culture of impunity are the main factors contributing to the continuation and spread of these violations. It stresses that the lack of genuine investigations into officers or officials involved in abuses constitutes explicit encouragement for their repetition.