The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners Campaign

Hand in hand- Egypt without torture

Cairo: 4/7/2004

Fourteen citizens, including six children, carry out sit-in in the office of HRAAP escaping from pursuits of the security forces

 Fourteen citizens of the relatives of the escapee prisoner Mohamed Saleh Abdel-Mohsen carry out in the office of HRAAP escaping from the oppression and pursuits of the investigation officers of Al-Saff and Atfih district. The sit-in happened as a new development in the incident of detaining and torturing 23 citizens from Al-Saff and Atfih as an attempt to get the escapee prisoner under arrest. It is worth mentioning that HRAAP reported a complaint by this incident to the prosecution office of Al-Saff in July 3, 2004 after being sure of this incident. Meanwhile, HRAAP submitted similar complaints to  the Attorney General and the General Lawyer of southern Giza prosecution offices, in addition to a complaint to the Minister of Interior.

In spite of these legal procedures, HRAAP was surprised with an opposite situation from the side of the investigation officers of Al-Saff and Atfih district, as they broke into and destroyed the houses of the escapee prisoner’s relatives, in addition to detaining a large number of his relatives that reached 51 detainees including women, elderly people and children. These attacks and pursuits led to fleeing many citizens of his folks, leaving their houses and hiding in farms for fear of being arrested and tortured. As a result, the folk’s empty houses were robbed and their livestock died because they did not get any care after the escape of the households.

 The Human rights association for the assistance of prisoners