Egypt: Political Detainees stage Hunger Strike

Scores of political detainees in Damanhour Prison staged a hunger strike protesting their detention without charges. The same prison witnessed cases of attempted suicide by a number of detainees. The Prosecution tried to persuade the detainees to end their hunger strike but failed. The detainees affirmed that they want nothing from the authorities but to abide by the court rulings which cleared them from any wrong doing.


They questioned the reason for thrawing them in jail while they were not convicted in any crimes or commited any acts of violence, and stressing that they are ordinary religious people.


They also wondered how the state reconciled with groups that committed acts of violence for years while it is keeping them in prison although they haven’t committed any acts of violence in their life.


The detainees and their families added that the injustice they suffer is a result of the random detentions policy which gave way for junior officers to issue arrest warrants on blank papers. The detainees insisted on their hunger strike until either they die or the authorities put an end to their agonies. It is to be mentioned that those detainees were arrested according to the emergency law. Although they have been released by the rulings of the State Security Court, the authorities still haven’t implemented any of them.