The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners HRAAP Campaign

Hand in Hand…Egypt without Torture

Cairo: 29/5/2004

In a new development refers to the continuation of the crisis of the detainees' hunger strike in Al-Gharbaneyat prison the Prison Department distributes them to over another seven prisons all over Egypt in attempt to demolish the problem

In a new development concerning the incident of the hunger strike of 56 Egyptian and Palestinian detainees in Al-Gharbaneyat prison that began in 22/5/2004 as a protest against maltreatment in the prison and not providing the appropriate medical care for most of them, although they suffer from serious diseases require intensive care. The health conditions of four detainees have deteriorated as a result of the determination of the Ministry of Interior to detain them although they have got many release orders. The four detainees are Ibrhim Abdel-Hady, Mohamed Hussein Hasan Awwad, Mahmoud Abdel-Ra'of Al-Mabhoh and Mohamed Hussein Hallag. They have been transferred to prison's hospital.

After the Prison Administration refused to allow the fact-finding delegation to visit the detainees in the prison under the allegation that they are not present in the prison, although the association has a visitation permit issued by the Technical Office for the Attorney General to visit four strikers. The strikers are Abdel-Fattah Olwy Ahmed, Ibrahim Abdel-Hady Ali, Wesam Mamdouh Abdel-Gaber Al-Nahhal and Zeyad Nemr Al-Kashash.

This new development dates back to the last Thursday May 27, 2004, when the striker detainees were distributed to many other prisons such as Leman Abu-Za'bal, Leman Tura, Al-Mansoura, Damanhour, Al-Katta, Port Sa'ed, and Al-Zakazik. This action indicates the persistence of the Ministry of Interior to the continuation of detaining those strikers and it seems as an attempt from the side of the Prison Department to get the strikers under pressure psychologically to put an end to this strike by distributing them. 

The human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners