Heba Muhamad, Damanhour Prison
Heba Muhamad, aged 32 was detained in Damanhour Prison. She died on 19 May 2013.
Alkarama received a report by Al-Buhirah's prison health inspector, Dr Muhamad Ali Muqresh. He reported on documents and medical reports he found in Heba's medical file. One document stated she had gone to the hospital several times to change the bandage of an 8cm-wound on her left buttock, which had been stitched with a total of six subcutaneous stitches and 10 points on the skin. The reason for the wound given in the document was that Heba had fallen. Another official report states that Heba had visited Damanhour Hospital several times in May for an abrasion on the top of her left thigh, anal bleeding and acute anemia. Despite all this information, the circumstances of Heba's death remain unexplained. A forensic report dated 19 May states that the death resulted from "acute circulatory failure".
The results of the autopsy performed by Dr Muhamad Ali Muqresh establish that the victim had bruises on the back of the left leg, as well as an 8-cm open incision at the top of the left thigh. Her face and left arm were also covered with scars.
Dr Muqresh confirmed that the wounds could not have resulted from a fall but that the death most likely resulted from acts of torture. It appears that the diagnosis is even more plausible given Damanhour Hospital's inaccurate and inconsistent medical reports: they state for example that the wound on Heba's thigh was stitched, whereas no trace of stitching was visible on the body of the victim.
Alwadi Al-Jadid Prison: 3 deaths reported in May
In only one month, three detainees from Alwadi Al-Jadid Prison reportedly died: Thabet Muhamad Ali, aged 56, on 3 May, Ibrahim Ali, aged 33, on 19 May in the morning, and Uthman Dahi, aged 56, on 19 May in the evening.
The official medical reports establish that the three deaths resulted from "acute circulatory failure".
Deaths in Police Stations
During the past few months, the official cause of all deaths in police stations is also "acute circulatory failure".
Majdi Wadii, aged 54, died on 11 May while detained at Assaf police station. He was held in custody for signing worthless checks. Official reports state the detainee suffered from acute circulatory failure and that he was released just before his death.
Ibrahim Mahrous Tawfiq, aged 35, died on 29 April because of the "extreme exhaustion" he suffered while detained at Embaba police station. He was urgently transferred to the hospital where he died upon arrival. Again, according to the official medical report, the death resulted from "acute circulatory failure".
Hussam Kamal Abdulbaqi, aged 26, died on 5 June at the public hospital where he had been transferred following the aggravation of a health condition while detained at Hilwan police station, where he had been since 12 May.
According to Hamdi Aziz, one of the deceased's relatives, an altercation occurred between Hussam and the chief of the intelligence services the day of Hussam's arrest. When agent tried to search him by force, Hussam protested, as he had already provided the requested documents. The agent became angry and told his colleagues to beat Hussam and to take him to the police station.
When Hussam's family came to visit him, he told them that an agent had insulted him several times. When Hussam again refused to be searched, the agent threatened to charge him on false accusations in a fabricated case. Following which, Hussam was accused of possession of drugs. The agent also humiliated and assaulted him, and even ordered Hussam's co-detainees to abuse him. Following this ill-treatment, on the fifth day of his detention, Hussam's health started deteriorating, and he became very pale and started losing weight.
For ten days, Hussam's family kept asking the chief of the police station to transfer Hussam to the hospital to receive medical care. Their request was ignored for a long time until eventually, the family was informed that he had died at the hospital. The family's lawyer published a press release accusing the intelligence services officers and the police station of being responsible for Hussam's death, either by torture or by serious neglect which led to the deterioration of his health. The official report established by the pathologist found, once again, that the death had resulted from "acute circulatory failure".
"The State, through the work of the Interior Ministry, is legally responsible for all Egyptian prisons and detention centers as well as for the detainees' safety. It has the obligation to ensure that their health condition is checked regularly, and to provide detainees with access to medical care when necessary," said Ahmed Mefreh, Alkarama's representative in Cairo. "It is unacceptable that so many deaths have occurred in less than 40 days and were described as "natural deaths" by the authorities. The Interior Ministry must shoulder its responsibilities and be held accountable."
Alkarama calls on the Egyptian authorities to open effective and independent investigations to reveal the real cause and circumstances of these suspicious deaths in prisons and detention centers. They must ensure that the cause of the deaths is not of a criminal nature.