The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented the continued deprivation of student detainees in Egyptian prisons, particularly Badr 3 Prison, of their right to education and to sit for examinations, resulting in some students remaining in the same academic year for several consecutive years. The reported restrictions also include limitations on access to books, study materials, papers, and other educational tools.
According to CFJ, examinations for students enrolled in universities, diploma programs, postgraduate studies, and master’s degree programs have effectively been suspended inside prisons since 2019. Available information indicates that authorities have refused to transfer students to prisons located near their universities to enable them to sit for examinations, while some universities have reportedly declined to send special examination committees to Badr 3 Prison. Additional administrative obstacles have also allegedly hindered the transfer of students to universities in Cairo and Giza.
The reported restrictions further include the prohibition of books, academic references, and study papers from entering detention facilities, as well as the confiscation of pens and personal notes during inspection procedures. According to available information, these measures have compounded the difficulties faced by detained students and placed their educational futures at risk.
The Committee for Justice stresses that the right to education is a fundamental right that should be guaranteed to all individuals, including those deprived of their liberty, and that access to education plays an essential role in preserving personal development and future opportunities.
CFJ calls on the relevant authorities to enable detained students to sit for their examinations, allow the entry of books, academic references, and educational materials without undue restrictions, facilitate procedures related to academic transfers and the renewal of official documents, and end any practices that use the denial of education as a form of punishment or pressure against detainees.
