Minister of the Interior must take responsibility for threats against the life of Mohammed Adel

Minister of the Interior must take responsibility for threats against the life of Mohammed Adel

The Arabic Network for Human Rights information expressed deep concern for the life of blogger Mohammed Adel who is in Tora Farm prison. Adel went on hunger strike in protest at being placed in solitary confinement and at his mistreatment by prison authorities, who have not been allowing him to leave his cell, thus putting his life in danger.


Last Wednesday lawyers from ANHRI submitted a report to the attorney general demanding that an immediate investigation into Adel”s hunger strike take place and that necessary measures are taken to protect his life from any danger posed by it. They also demanded that the prosecution open an investigation into any mistreatment by the prison”s administration against the blogger.


While ANHRI condemns the prison administration’s behavior toward the blogger, it also holds the minister of the interior, the head of the prisons department and the officials of Tora Farm Prison responsible for any physical or moral injury which might befall Adel. ANHRI also stresses that the positions held by these officials do not give them the right to maltreat any prisoner and the constitution states that the ministry of the interior is responsible for the care of all prisoners, and should not discriminate against them for any reason.


ANHRI states that the actions of the ministry and the prisons department is against all the laws that regulate prisons in Egypt and violates the most basic human rights guaranteed by international covenants, which are part of Egyptian law, by virtue of the government having signed up for them. Preventing Adel from leaving his cell is only one of a whole list of mistreatments committed against him by the prison administration since his detention some weeks ago.


It should also be mentioned that lawyers only discovered about the hunger strike by chance when reviewing the order to renew his imprisonment last week.