The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has said that violations inside prisons and detention centers in Egypt are increasing alarmingly, making it imperative for the international community and UN mechanisms to intervene to stop these gross human rights abuses. The violations witnessed in Egyptian prisons, especially against political detainees, have become systematic practices that pose serious risks to the lives and physical and mental well-being of the prisoners. The lack of accountability and increasing repression within detention centers are pushing the situation toward further escalation.
This comes after CFJ’s monitoring teams received information confirming severe violations inside Borg El-Arab Prison in Alexandria. The committee revealed that the National Security Officer, Hamza Al-Masry (a pseudonym), has carried out a series of repressive actions against political detainees for over ten days. He arbitrarily transferred dozens of detainees to unknown prisons, while others were placed in disciplinary cells without clear or legal reasons.
Detainees were also deprived of outdoor exercise, visits were significantly reduced, and entry of medications and essential supplies was blocked. CFJ confirmed that the officer cut off the electricity to the cells, causing chaos and panic among detainees. The cells were raided, and detainees were stripped of their personal belongings, including food, medicine, and the mattresses they sleep on, leaving them in harsh and degrading conditions.
These repressive practices have exacerbated the situation for political detainees in the prison, with several sick detainees suffering from suffocation and fainting due to the continuous power outages. Seven detainees attempted suicide, and while some were taken to the hospital, others were returned either to their cells or to disciplinary cells, further heightening tension and anger among the remaining detainees, who began an open strike, refusing food and visits. However, the prison administration forcibly ended the strike.
Borg El-Arab Prison is one of the largest and most notorious prisons in Egypt. It is located in a desert area near Alexandria and is infamous for its poor detention conditions and the mistreatment of prisoners. The prison, which opened in 2004, was designed to hold large numbers of detainees, including political prisoners. The prison is known for employing harsh methods against detainees, including long-term solitary confinement, restrictions on family visits, and depriving prisoners of basic rights such as exercise and medical treatment.
CFJ holds the administration of Borg El-Arab Prison fully responsible for the safety of the political detainees there. The committee is calling for an urgent investigation into the violations committed by National Security Officer Hamza Al-Masry and for those responsible for these violations to be held accountable in accordance with national and international laws.
CFJ emphasizes its full solidarity with the political detainees in Borg El-Arab Prison, considering the deprivation of their basic human rights a flagrant violation of international law and humanitarian standards. CFJ calls for transparent and independent investigations into all the violations suffered by the detainees and for the responsible parties to be held accountable without delay or evasion.
Additionally, the Committee for Justice demands that the Egyptian Prison Authority halt its policy of “exile and stripping” used to oppress political detainees and open channels of dialogue with them to end the growing tension.
CFJ also urges the Egyptian Public Prosecutor’s Office to fulfill its oversight role over detention centers and prisons in Egypt to prevent the violations faced by detainees. The committee also calls on the National Council for Human Rights to assume its real role in monitoring prison conditions and working to improve them, rather than promoting an unrealistic positive image in favor of the authorities.
