Egypt: Prison conditions: Medical Action

There is concern at the extremely poor conditions in Egyptian prisons and the inadequate level of medical care and facilities provided; and that this has resulted in or contributed to the ill-health of large numbers of prisoners. At least four prisoners are reported to have died in custody in 1996. There is also concern at the practice of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners, facilitated by the use of administrative detention, and by the incommunicado detention of those held in the High Security Prison in Tora and Istiqbal Tora Prison. Al-Fayoum Prison has also been closed to visits for prolonged periods. Amnesty International is urging that all those held in prison are treated humanely, have access to the necessary medical care and that conditions of detention are brought into line with internationally agreed minimum standards.

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