The National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) has not yet received approval concerning their request to visit prisons during the holy month of Ramadan, in order to see whether conditions are suitable and meet legal standards, NCHR member Mokhtar Noah told Daily News Egypt.
The Ministry of Interior will only give its approval if it really does want them to enter the prisons for inspection, Noah said. The NCHR does not decide which prison they visit, and prisons are selected according to ministry’s orders, according to independent newspaper Al-Youm Al-Sabaa.
The NCHR is always eager to visit prisons, especially due to numerous complaints received from prisoner’s families about substandard conditions and neglect inside prisons, as well as the widespread cases of torture in police stations.
These inspections aim to improve the conditions in prisons and police stations in accordance with the Egyptian Constitution regarding prisoners’ rights. However, the NCHR’s reports usually align with the ministry’s claims that deny any violation and state that the situation is stable.
Some members of the NCHR, including lawyer Ragia Omran, continuously criticise these inaccurate reports. The majority of detainees, political or otherwise, are suffering from deteriorated conditions inside prison, including the lack of food, drink, warm clothing, and medical treatment.
