El-Shehab for Human Rights expresses its discontent regarding the statement issued by the Ministry of Interior.
Monday 10 July 2023
The Ministry of Interior issued a repetitive statement through its official page regarding the death of a citizen two weeks after his arrest. They reiterate their flawed and unsubstantiated narrative that the cause of death was a sharp drop in blood circulation.
It is worth mentioning that the right to life is a fundamental right for every individual, including those who are detained. There must be respect for human dignity and the guarantee of their safety at all times.
We would like to emphasize that the citizen, Mahmoud Tawfiq, was apprehended on June 26, 2023, from his residence in Alexandria, where he was assaulted and his belongings were thrown from the ninth floor.
Despite the official demands to all authorities to disclose his whereabouts and the reasons for his disappearance, we were shocked by the news of his death without being presented to the public prosecution or being interrogated.
We call for a transparent and independent investigation into this incident to ascertain the cause of death and ensure accountability in the event of any violations, torture or neglect. Also, every detained person should be treated in a way that upholds their dignity; and their rights and dignity should be respected in all circumstances.
It is worth mentioning that cases of death in Egyptian prisons are not isolated incidents, as several deaths have been documented in the recent period. This confirms the need for reforming and rehabilitating the police system.
El-Shehab for Human Rights calls on the Egyptian authorities to deal with this matter seriously, and to guarantee the safety of all detainees and their right to full health care and decent humane treatment. We also urge the international community and international human rights organizations to follow up on this matter and exert pressure to safeguard the rights and well-being of detainees in Egypt.
