• EGYPT
  • June 25, 2016
  • 4 minutes read

Borg Al-Arab Prisoners Continue Hunger-Strike, Demand Investigation into Student Beatings

Borg Al-Arab Prisoners Continue Hunger-Strike, Demand Investigation into Student Beatings

At least 460 political prisoners held in Borg Al-Arab Prison have started a full hunger-strike to protest extreme mistreatment in prison for political detainees, and also the unprecedented barbaric beating and torture of 34 young detainees (university students) on June 17, 2016 – which caused horrific injuries to many students – watched by and on direct orders from officer Mohamed Al-Feil, Borg Prison officer-in-charge.


Soldiers dragged 6 students on asphalt for further ‘disciplinary’ action, and wrote false reports claiming students attacked the security forces. Coup authorities banned all visits for the students, and did not allow them to health checks after the beatings. The students were not even allowed medical treatment of any kind, despite student Hamza Azzouz suffering a concussion, while student Ahmed Saleh suffered a badly broken arm, and students Karim Gamal and Abdel-Aziz Khalil suffered head injuries.


Detainees declared a total hunger-strike, and drank little water only despite the oppressive heat throughout the day. They, therefore, refrained from receiving food from the prison administration, which cancelled all exercise time. This caused several detainees to lose consciousness, not helped by the lack of ventilation in already far too crowded cells.


Students announced they will not end the hunger-strike unless their demands are met, namely:


First, the chief prosecutor must start an investigation, interrogating officers Mohamed Al-Feil and Ahmed Mubarak, with regard to their involvement in the recent student beatings.


Second, the prison administration must respect the law and apply the Prisons Act and regulations, and refrain from beating or mistreating prisoners.


Third, prison administration must stop throwing prisoners in disciplinary wards arbitrarily, and allow exercise for sufficient periods of time as prescribed by relevant laws and regulations.


Fourth, prison administration must stop mistreating prisoners’ families during visits, and allow enough time for those, in accordance with the text of the law.


These demands are the minimum acceptable to striking students.


Shehab Center for Human Rights declares solidarity with Borg Al-Arab Prison strikers, and calls on Alexandria’s chief prosecutor to open an investigation into the latest brutal beatings incident, with an eye to putting an end to these irresponsible and inhuman practices by police officers at Borg Al-Arab Prison.


Shehab Center for Human Rights


#مركز_الشهاب_لحقوق_الانسان


Friday – June 24, 2016