• EGYPT
  • May 25, 2015
  • 7 minutes read

Egyptian Lawmaker Mohamed Falahgy Dies in Detention

Egyptian Lawmaker Mohamed Falahgy Dies in Detention

 Parliamentarian Mohamed Falahgy died today (Monday) while in detention in Damietta province as a result of deliberate medical negligence by coup authorities which refused to allow him medical treatment he desperately needed until he reached a late stage of a gallbladder inflammation. Only then did the prison administration allow Falahgy to be transferred to a prison hospital where he died this morning.


Mohamed Al-Falahgy, 58, was arrested on August 26, 2013 from his workplace at Damietta Education Directorate, where he held the post of General Manager. Subsequently, he was transferred to a Damietta police station, where he spent a whole day without being charged. The following day, he was moved to the Central Security Forces HQ, where he was held in secret for more than one month in unspeakable and unlawful circumstances.

He was then moved to Gamasa Prison on October 1, 2013, where he was subjected to severe psychological torture for 11 days. A false charge of "forming a gang" was brought against him. But prosecutors dropped this charge on January 15, 2014, and ordered his release. However, the prison administration refused to comply and continued to hold him hostage in breach of the law.

After a long fight with illness and after his condition deteriorated badly, he was transferred on April 8, 2015 to Damietta Hospital, where tests reaffirmed he was suffering from left kidney stones and inflammation of the gallbladder. Nevertheless, Falahgy received no treatment. Relatives believe he was allowed to go to hospital just so authorities give the impression he received proper health care.

Falahgy was in detention outside the framework of the law when coup authorities fabricated more charges against him: "incitement to murder", "belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood" and "attacking a police station". All these charges were also dropped by prosecutors on February 10, 2015. Yet prison administration kept holding him in prison. He was then charged with "incitement to burn the Damietta Islamic Complex". A retrial for that is to be considered tomorrow (Tuesday).

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