The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented a new suicide attempt carried out by a political detainee inside Belqas Police Station in Al-Daqahlia Governorate, amid worsening ongoing violations and deteriorating detention conditions that have become a daily threat to detainees’ lives.
The tragic attempt was made by political detainee Mustafa Al-Najjar, who slashed his wrists inside the detention cell as a result of the profound despair caused by years of arbitrary detention, deliberate medical neglect, and the failure to implement court rulings ordering his release.
Al-Najjar had previously entered an open-ended hunger strike in protest against his continued detention despite multiple judicial orders granting his release that were never executed, followed by his re-detention under new charges — a clear indication of the complete disregard for legal procedures and the basic rights of detainees.
Under these harsh circumstances, Al-Najjar suffered a severe psychological and physical breakdown, resorting to attempting to end his life as a final act of resistance against the injustice and oppression he has endured.
According to sources close to Al-Najjar’s family, he was transferred to Belqas General Hospital where he received ten medical stitches in his hand. However, immediately after his condition stabilized, he was transferred directly to the high-security prison in Gamasa — a move that appears to be punitive for his suicide attempt rather than providing necessary psychological or medical support.
The CFJ considers this incident not an isolated case, but rather an inevitable outcome of the systematic neglect and widespread violations committed daily against detainees in Egypt. The committee affirms that the Egyptian authorities’ handling of such incidents reflects a blatant disregard for human life and dignity, and contradicts the most basic international standards regarding prisoner treatment and human rights.
The Committee strongly condemns the violations being committed against detainees, and insists on the necessity of launching an immediate and independent investigation into this suicide attempt and all related violations, including the executive authorities’ deliberate ignoring of judicial release orders, and holding those responsible fully accountable without allowing them to escape punishment.
Furthermore, the CFJ calls for urgent action to improve detention conditions in all police stations and prisons in line with Egypt’s international obligations, particularly the standards set forth in the Nelson Mandela Principles and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules), ensuring adequate medical care, proper ventilation, appropriate nutrition, and a minimum level of privacy and dignity for every detainee.