European Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights Calls for Independent Investigation into Egypt Torture, Detention Crimes

* This Press Release is about the activities of the delegation of The European Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights (Alliance Européenne des Egyptiens pour la démocratie et les droits de l’homme (AED)) on the sidelines of the 28th session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council on Friday March 13,  2015 in Geneva, Switzerland.

A delegation from  The European Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights (AED) has met a number of special rapporteurs at the Human Rights Council in Geneva and handed over to them a number of complaints of torture in several illegal detention stations across Egypt. Torture incidents include torturing minors, applying electric shocks to sensitive body parts, hanging by the hands, blindfolding for several days and locking the detainees in narrow cells. In addition to this, convicted prisoners terrorized and abused political detainees inside police stations, including minors, which is considered a blatant violation to the Child Protection Convention and the Egyptian Childhood Law of 1996. As an example, twelve minors were kidnapped from their homes around midnight, isolated from the outside world for four days, handcuffed and subjected to electric shocks. They were not allowed to call neither their lawyers nor their families for several more days. The detainees of Dikhila police station in Alexandria were particularly subjected to mistreatment. 

The delegation of AED met with the special rapporteurs on torture, the UN working group on arbitrary detention, and an official from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. They discussed the deteriorating human rights situation in Egypt during the meeting, and the wide-scale campaign of torture and repression against minors. The AED delegation also discussed the rise in forced disappearance cases during the last four months and documented the different forms of torture inflicted on the detainees during their disappearance. The AED delegation also handed over a complaint on the mistreatment of detainees at Borg Al-Arab Prison which represents a flagrant violation of the United Nations standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners.

It is worth mentioning that the special rapporteurs on torture issued a report this month that contained reference to the torture cases and mass death sentences in Egypt, calling on the authorities to stop the implementation of 37 ratified death sentences and cancel the practice. The report also criticized Egypt’s failure to respond and investigate allegations of torture, pursuit, arbitrary arrest, forced disappearance and many other forms of punitive treatment, which also includes sexual harassment and rape of 50 minors, of whom two were around the age of 18. Their rights of protection from torture, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment were violated as stated in articles (1) and (16) in the Convention against Torture.

It is decided that the delegation of AED will be holding discussions and meetings with the permanent diplomatic missions before the periodic review on Egypt is due on the 19th of March. During these meetings the AED will hold discussions on the deteriorating human rights situation in Egypt and express its growing fears over the ongoing gruesome torture crimes. Moreover, AED will renew its call on the organizations of the international community to condemn those violations and issue a recommendation to open an independent investigation in all crimes committed since 2011, and to review what has been achieved since the latest review in 2010. AED will also issue urgent calls over the importance of amending protest law, non-governmental organizations law and punishment laws pertaining to pretrial detention, so that they may conform with the relevant international criteria.

The European Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights.

Alliance Européenne pour Les droits de l’homme

 (AED)) / 7 Rue Chapon , Aubervilliers 93300, France