- EGYPT
- February 12, 2016
- 2 minutes read
Young Hamza Starts Hunger Strike in Dakahlia, After Torture, Medical Neglect
According to the family of juvenile detainee Mazen Hamza (under 18), the teenager announced he was starting a hunger strike in Talkha Police Station in Dakahlia Governorate, after being subjected to extreme torture, brutal beatings and inhuman ill-treatment and humiliation by officers. Hamza told his family: "If I die here, it will not be because of the hunger strike, but brutal beatings at the hands of coup security officers".
Young Hamza is on trial before a military court, along with 18 other civilians. Fabricated charges laid against them include "forming a terrorist cell and belonging to a banned group". The military prosecutor postponed their case Tuesday (February 9) to next Tuesday (February 16, 2016).
This is not the first time that Hamza and his fellow "inmates" start a hunger strike. In December 2015, they went on a hunger strike in Talkha Police Station (again), after officers looted their belongings and threw the teenagers in isolated, solitary confinement and abused them with horrendous torture and beatings.
In May 2015, while he was held in custody at Mansoura Police Station, Hamza was infected with Mumps (epidemic parotitis) due to the poor, squalid conditions of detention cells at the station. Then, authorities refused to provide the necessary medical care for his condition. Meanwhile, the prosecutor refused him compassionate release on medical grounds.
