The CFJ condemned the repeated violations suffered by the political detainee Ahmed Dsouki Mesbah Zaghloul inside Tahrir 9 Prison in Wadi El Natrun, which led him to announce a full hunger strike on the fourteenth consecutive day, in protest against being deprived of necessary medical care and humane treatment.
The committee has reported that prison authorities ignored Zaghloul’s repeated requests, the serious deterioration of his health condition, and his physical assault by security personnel inside his cell — all of which constitute grave violations of human rights according to international treaties.
It is worth noting that Zaghloul suffers from a sharp drop in blood sugar levels and overall deterioration in both his physical and psychological health, as a result of years of medical neglect and torture he was subjected to since his arrest in 2016. He also suffers from chronic illnesses caused by electric shocks and severe beatings during a period of enforced disappearance lasting more than one and a half months inside a National Security facility.
Security forces arrested Zaghloul just one week before his wedding date, and he was later referred to the Supreme State Security Prosecution in the case known in the media as the “attempted assassination of the Deputy Public Prosecutor Zekry Abdel Aziz”. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, despite the lack of sufficient evidence against him, and his continuous complaints of torture during interrogation were ignored.
For its part, the CFJ affirms full solidarity with detainee Ahmed Dsouki Zaghloul during his hunger strike, calls for the immediate provision of necessary medical and psychological care, and stresses that Egyptian authorities bear full responsibility for his safety and life under the critical health conditions he is going through.
The CFJ also calls for an urgent and independent investigation into the violations Zaghloul is subjected to inside the prison, including physical and psychological torture and deliberate medical negligence, and urges to hold all those involved accountable and prevent them from evading punishment.
