News briefing
By: Committee for Justice
Geneva: 26th September 2023
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has reported a second suicide attempt in the month of September by a political detainee named Abdullah Rabie (26 years old) in the 10th of Ramadan prison, located in the Sharqia governorate of Egypt.
Second suicide attempt:
CFJ stated that the detainee, Rabie, is 26 years old and is from the Sharqia governorate. He tried to end his life inside his cell due to inhumane detention conditions and prolonged detention (renewed detention) which has been ongoing for a continuous 8 years. Rabie has been detained since April 10, 2015, and his case has been recycled in custody several times on the same charges. He experienced tragic detention conditions, witnessing physical and psychological violations that breach all human rights and humanitarian standards. This incident marks the second suicide attempt that has been documented in the month of September, following the attempted suicide of the renowned Egyptian poet, Galal El Behairy, on September 9.
A serious stand against detention conditions in Egypt:
CFJ reiterated that the conditions inside Egyptian detention centers and prisons have become unbearable for humans. There’s a need for serious international intervention to pressure Egyptian authorities either to release political detainees or to improve their living conditions to meet international and UN standards for the rights of those deprived of freedom. CFJ also calls for providing necessary medical and psychological care for the political detainee, Abdullah Rabie, and for conducting a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the suicide attempt.
