Press Release
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) announced the deaths of two political detainees in the prisons of “Minya” and “Badr” due to deliberate medical neglect and poor detention conditions, reflecting the ongoing deterioration of prison conditions in Egypt and the medical neglect and violations of basic rights that detainees face.
– Death at Badr prison:
The first case involves Dr. Abdullah Zain Al-Abidin, who died in Badr Prison on Thursday, October 3, 2024, at the age of 70, after being detained for nearly five years. Dr. Zain Al-Abidin, the former Secretary-General of the Pharmacists’ Syndicate, suffered from poor health and did not receive the necessary medical care, despite his urgent need for treatment.
– The second death:
The second case involves political detainee Magdy Mohamed Abdullah Mahmoud, who died on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at the hospital in Minya Prison.
Abdullah, aged 65, had been detained in Minya Prison since May 2023 after his retrial in a case related to events in Samalut following the dispersal of the Rabaa sit-in.
The victim suffered physical and psychological abuse in prison, in addition to chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. His health deteriorated due to the lack of adequate medical care, leading to a blood clot in his leg followed by a stroke. Despite being transferred to the prison hospital, medical intervention came too late, and he passed away there.
– Calls for accountability and improved detention conditions:
CFJ emphasizes that medical neglect and poor detention conditions were the primary causes of the detainees’ deaths. CFJ pointed to the harsh conditions political detainees endure in Egyptian prisons, including inadequate healthcare, harsh treatment, and failure to provide necessary medications for critical health conditions.
The committee expressed growing concern about the state of prisons in Egypt, particularly in terms of the treatment of political detainees. CFJ urges authorities to improve detention conditions and ensure healthcare is provided, especially given the continued reports of deliberate medical neglect and mistreatment. The committee also called for impartial and prompt investigations into the deaths, ensuring accountability for those responsible and preventing them from escaping justice.
– 45 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 45. 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.
