Press Release
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has monitored the death of political detainee Ehab Masoud Ibrahim Juha (51 years old) on Monday, November 4, inside his cell at Borg Al-Arab Prison in Alexandria. His death was caused by deteriorating health resulting from deliberate medical neglect and the inhumane detention conditions he endured.
– Deliberate medical neglect:
Juha, a member of the Independence Party and a father of four, suffered from multiple health issues, including diabetes and the need for surgeries during his detention. Additionally, he sustained severe burns on his feet, which impaired his mobility. Despite his critical condition, authorities refused to release him or provide adequate medical care, ignoring repeated appeals from his family.
CFJ confirmed that Egyptian authorities continued to hold Juha in harsh and unlawful conditions for the sixth consecutive year. He was arrested in September 2019 in connection with the case known as the “Independence Party Case” and faced charges of joining an organization established contrary to the law, inciting protests, disrupting state facilities, and spreading false news.
– Condemnation and call for investigation:
CFJ condemned the death of detainee Ehab Juha, calling for a transparent and impartial investigation into the circumstances of his death. The committee insisted on the accountability of those responsible for his deliberate medical neglect within Egyptian prisons. CFJ described the incident as a grave indicator of the ongoing policies of medical negligence that jeopardize detainees’ lives, especially in politically motivated cases.
CFJ pointed out that deliberate medical neglect in Egyptian prisons constitutes a clear violation of international conventions, including:
Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that “all persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.”
Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, which guarantees the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
CFJ also emphasized that these practices contravene the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), which oblige states to provide necessary medical care to detainees and prevent any form of deliberate neglect that endangers their lives.
– 46 Deaths in Custody in 2024:
This incident brings the total number of deaths recorded by CFJ in Egyptian prisons and detention centers since the beginning of 2024 to 46. Accurate information about death cases during detention in Egypt can be obtained through the Justice Watch Archive service provided by CFJ, which contains information about more than 14,000 victims and over 30,000 violations. It also monitors violations inside more than 500 places of detention in Egypt.
