“Prisons in Egypt”

The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners issues a historical study about prisons and torture in Egypt from the Pharaoh age until the Revolution of July 1952
“The suspect was interrogated as usual”

 This phrase is not extracted from files of competent authorities nowadays, in fact, it is an old Pharaonic inscription whose writer refused to let us fell on the horns of a dilemma about knowing its exact meaning, so he attached a nice inscription to a man, who was being beaten on his feet, and he was crying out in pain.

 Thus, Dr. Ahmed El-Sawy “the professor of Islamic History, faculty of Monuments, Cairo University” began the preface of this study, prepared by Mr. Adel El-Zanaty “a researcher in HRAAP”, entitled (Prisons in Egypt from the Pharaoh Age until the Revolution of July 1952). In addition, Dr. El-Sawy mentioned in his preface that we have an old history of torture since the ruler was a god or semi-god, who has dominated everything even the earth. In addition, he could (as he claimed) send his subjects to the eternal heaven in the Other World, or to show them his anger and send them to hill.

This study reveals a side that has been rarely discussed before in such a detailed way, through 6 parts and 21 chapters. The first part sheds light on prisons in Pharaonic Egypt, checking the legislation and judgment in that age, and explaining crimes and punishment in details, and the nature of prisons and wherein conditions. The second part sheds light on prisons in Egypt since the Islamic conquest till the end of the rule of Salah El-Din Al - Ayouby. It includes an explanation for the sources of law and judgment in that era, and the system of penalization and punishment. In addition, it displays prisons in that era whether in the era of the prophet Mohammed (peace be upon Him) or the era of the Orthodox Caliphs, the Umayyad period, or the periods, the Abbassians, the Tolonians, Akhidians, the Fatimids and the Ayyubids. Eventually, the end of this part shows the system of torture in that period. However, the third part handled the era of the Mamluks and their legal system distinguishing the kinds of crimes whether committed by the Mamluks themselves, by the Arabs or by the common people. In addition, this part shows some executive penalties and the conditions of prisons in that age. Part 4 points out the legal system in the era of the Ottomans rule, displaying the crimes and penalties. In this part, crimes have been classified according to their kinds, whether it is a governmental job crimes, political crimes, vice crimes or military crimes. In part five, the era of Mohammed Ali and his successors is crystallized by showing the legal system and the legislations, in addition to the crimes and penalties and the conditions of prisons and torture in that era. Finally, part six handles the conditions of prisons in Egypt since 1883 to the 23^rd of July revolution in 1952.

To conclude, it is important to note that the facts and events shown in this study including the historical hints about prisons and tales concerning to them are not cheerful at all. They are all enough to present a valuable book that was completed after exerting great efforts to get information about everything relating to prisons in Egypt through the history of prosecution system and the means of punishment or torture. In addition, it filled a vacant place in the Arabian library.

The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners