An emergency situation in Egyptian prisons ... Thus, the detainees face the threat of corona and the authorities' intransigence

Abdel Rahman Mohamed - Cairo

At a time when human rights demands for the release of prisoners in Egypt escalated for fear of the spread of Corona virus, sources from inside Egyptian prisons revealed that the detainees had adopted a "contingency plan" as an attempt to guard against the spread of the virus among them, in light of the authorities' refusal to release them even if temporarily.

In exclusive statements to Al Jazeera Net, sources from three Egyptian prisons (a prison in Tora Complex, a prison in the Nile Delta, and a prison in a southern governorate) said that the detainees had adopted a "contingency plan", to guard against what can be taken and followed by means to prevent the spread of the virus, and their dependence on doctors Those arrested with them in their prisons.

A source in a Tora prison prison said that, after ensuring that the authorities did not respond to repeated calls for police release, or that an atmosphere conducive to guarding the epidemic was created, the detainees agreed to choose a crisis management committee composed mostly of doctors, and approved a plan that depended on the available.

In light of the authorities' banning the introduction of medicines and other hygiene kits, after the decision to suspend visits, the source told Al-Jazeera Net that the committee worked to inventory all available sterilization and disinfection kits, and the necessary medicines that are available to the detainees, and a plan was developed that helps in making the best use of them For everyone.

The three sources agreed that in the event that attempts to force prison authorities to isolate those with suspected symptoms of the epidemic failed, the detainees would endeavor to subject him to isolation in the cell for a period of two weeks, after cutting a corner for this purpose, which originally represented the share of four members of the cell.

One of the three sources indicated that there is "informal" cooperation by officers and conscripts to help implement the plan, as they see it as "achieving a common interest and protecting them from getting sick", noting that these individuals tell them that the instructions of the central administration emphasize following The policy of prevention and non-response to the detainees' demands.

On March 9, the Ministry of Interior decided to suspend prison visits for ten days as a precautionary measure to prevent the outbreak of the Coronavirus, before it extended to the end of the month, and the Ministry of Justice postponed the consideration of lawsuits in all courts for a period of two weeks.

Deliberate disregard

The researcher and human rights activist Haitham Ghunaim explained that there is a state of intense fear and panic from infection with the virus between officers and soldiers working in prisons; however, they are still practicing the same intransigent procedures in introducing hygiene and sterilization tools, and providing good ventilation in prisons.

In his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, the human rights activist stressed the need to reduce the number of prisoners in general in prisons by activating the conditional amnesty procedure and leaving for half the period, and removing the elderly and the detainees in custody, or on the pretext of cases that were not issued against them, to avoid the spread of the virus inside prisons, and not to transmit it Outside it in a more lethal way would harm the entire community.

In turn, Salma Ashraf, director of Human Rights Monitor, revealed that information was provided to her organization confirming that Egyptian prison authorities ignored calls to protect detainees, and work to protect them from the Corona virus, and its insistence not to introduce medical materials, sterilizers, or cleaning tools, which reflects the deliberate perpetual killing conditions of detainees.

In her speech to Al-Jazeera Net, the human rights activist pointed out that the campaigns launched by international human rights organizations since the spread of the virus to release the detainees met in many countries, even repressive regimes, but they did not receive any response from the Egyptian authorities.

She pointed to the documentation of the organization many cases of patients who suffer from chest allergy and diseases that may lead to them to death, noting that the detainees seek everything they have to clean and sterilize their cells, but the result behind this is weak, in light of the cells and cages lacking ventilation and crowded numbers.

"We have received news and appeals about the suspected infection of a number of detainees with the virus, and if that happens, it will be a horrific crime against thousands of innocent people, and the stain will remain on the forehead of the current authorities, and this crime will not fall."

On Thursday, Egyptian activists broadcast a leaked message from one of the prisoners in Scorpion prison inside Tora prison complex, revealing that some prisoners were infected with the Corona virus, and that symptoms of the disease appeared a few weeks ago on several prisoners, and that they addressed the prison administration to save them without success, while it hit officers, guards and doctors Panic, intentionally avoiding contact with prisoners.

Ten days ago, sources told Al-Jazeera Net that the first case of coronavirus infection was detected in Egyptian prisons, particularly in Wadi Al-Natroun Prison (north of Cairo), but the security services refused to reveal the name of the prisoner and the case held there.

In turn, the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms revealed yesterday that there are three suspected cases of corona infection inside Tora Prison, where they were transferred to the Abbasid Fever Hospital, in light of the closure of the prison hospital and the doctors ’fear of dealing with them.

The coordination office also quoted sources as saying that the inmates of three prison units entered a partial hunger strike two days ago to protest the lack of antiseptic or sterile materials, and the prison administration refused to purify the cells.