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Egypt: Citizen’s death from torture in Nabaruh Police Station raises concerns

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Press Release

By: CFJ

Geneva: August 6, 2023

 

CFJ reported a new death inside a detention center in Egypt of citizen Mahmoud Abdel Jawad, who worked as a chef and died due to torture at Nabaruh Police Station in the early hours of July 25, 2023.

 

Severe beating and torture leading to death:

According to the account of Abdel Jawad’s wife, he was arrested on the morning of Friday, July 21, 2023, while accompanying her and their child to the doctor. This coincided with a minivan passing by, with a 10 plain-clothed security forces from Nabaruh Police Station’s detectives, led by Islam Anan, head of the detectives, who had previously threatened the family with retaliation. His wife also reported being shocked by the security forces using stun guns. Eyewitnesses narrated that Abdel Jawad was brutally assaulted upon entering the police station, electrocuted, and beaten to death over three consecutive days until he passed away.

Furthermore, CFJ confirmed that the police station’s management denied visits to Abdel Jawad throughout his detention. When his family went to retrieve his body from Nabaruh General Hospital, they were denied any official reports regarding his death. They were told he died of a heart attack and sharp circulatory collapse – an explanation commonly given by the Ministry of Interior. His family emphasized he didn’t suffer from any serious diseases, especially heart-related ones.

 

Condemnation and calls for an investigation:

CFJ condemns the ongoing torture in Egyptian detention centers, calling for an investigation into Abdel Jawad’s death, determining the responsible parties, and holding them accountable. CFJ also calls on international and UN bodies to pressure the Egyptian authorities to allow regular visits to detention facilities to monitor human rights violations and hold those responsible accountable.

 

22 deaths since the start of 2023:

With Abdel Jawad’s death, the number death cases documented by CFJ inside Egyptian detention centers since the start of 2023 have risen to 22. The latest were two deaths, one of which was of Haitham Abdul Rahman, who died inside Al Labban police station in Alexandria, and Hani Samir, from Al-Basateen district in Cairo Governorate.

 

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.

For more information and media requests or inquiries, please get in touch with us (+41229403538 / media@cfjustice.org)

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