نداء للأمم المتحدة للتدخل من أجل إطلاق سراح المساجين في مصر بسبب تفشي وباء الكورونا

تشرفت بإمضاء هذه العريضة بعد عرضها علي من الاخوة المصريين لأن قضينا واحدة

ويتصادف في نفس السياق أنني بعثت إلى الدكتور عبد اللطيف المكي وزير الصحة بتحياتي وتهاني للمجهودات الجبارة التي يقوم بها هو وكل الاسرة الطبية

كما بعثت له برابط مقال صدر مؤخرا في النيورك تايمز عنوانه

An epicenter of the pandemic will be jails and prisons if inaction continues

يظهر هذا المقال أن السجون بغض النظر عن الأخطار التي يتعرض لها المساجين بفضل التكدس ستكون بؤرة لتوزيع المرض نتيجة تنقل الحراس بين السجن وبيوتهم ومن ثمة الضرورة القصوى لأفراغ السجون إلا من الأقلية الخطيرة  أرجو أن تأخذ وزارة الصحة ووزارة العدل هذه المسألة بغاية الجدية وإلا فكثيرا من الضحايا والتضحيا هو الثمن

نداء الاخوة المصريين

March 18, 2020
To Mr. Antonio Guterres
Secretary General of the United Nations
To Ms. Amina J Mohammed
Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations
To Ms. Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger
President of the Human Rights Council
To Ms. Michelle Bachelet
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Excellencies,
Re : URGENT : Temporary release of Egyptian prisoners during Covid-19 outbreak
We are writing to you to draw your attention to the dramatic situation of the prisoners detained in Egypt as the
Covid-19 outbreak has severely hit the country. We ask for your urgent intervention so that Egyptian prisoners
are temporarily released during the outbreak to avoid a fast spread of the virus in jails which would cause
dozens of thousands of deaths.
Egypt has officially announced today the first case among the prisoners but a letter leaked from al-Aqrab prison
reveals there are many more cases. The letter describes how the prisoners have received no assistance at all so
far. Also, it is important to note that the courts have been suspended because of the epidemic which means
prisoners will stay locked without even receiving a trial.
Egyptian prisons are sadly known for their squalid conditions. Even more worrying in this time of pandemic,
prisoners are crammed in cells that are so small that they have to wait for their turns to lay down and sleep.
Human Rights Watch has reported that “Egyptian prisoners complain about inhumane and degraded conditions.
Prisoners have said that guards punish them by confiscating personal hygiene tools, such as soap, toothbrushes,
toothpaste and toilet paper. Toilets are filthy, and prisoners sometimes have to use water in buckets for lack of
running water. Proper ventilation and sunshine are scarce.
“If there is one piece of advice a prisoner in Egypt would give a new prisoner, it would probably be: Don’t get
sick.”
In this context, the prisoners are unable to respect the social distancing and hygiene rules that are requested by
the World Health Organisation to prevent the virus from spreading. This represents a major risk of mass
contamination among the prisoners as well as the prisons’ wardens and guards as well as the families of the
prison’s staff.
Furthermore, since 2013, over 600 people have died in Egyptian prisons out of the inhumane conditions they
were held and out of gross medical negligence. The lack of basic health care seems to be common practice as
reported by the Committee for Justice. Also, the food prisoners receive is not varied enough. In this context, we
fear that most prisoners already suffer from a poor immune system and will not be supplied with the necessary
health care in case they fall ill to the Covid-19.
Iran just temporarily released 85,000 prisoners, including political and security-related prisoners, following the
call of the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Mr. Javaid Rehman.
Egyptian prisoners are detained in similar conditions and should receive the same attention from the United
Nations.
We are at your disposal for further information.
Sincerely yours,

 
Dr. Moncef Marzuki
Former President of Tunisia
Dr. Ayman Nour
Spokesperson, Egyptian National Action Group
Mr. Khaled Abu El Naga
Actor
Dr. Magda Refaa
Researcher in political philosophy
Dr. Mona Omran
Center for Egyptian American Relations (CEAR)
Mr. Ahmed Alpannann
President, Egyptian Canadian Coalition for
Democracy
Mr. Farid Al Zayat
Egyptian Union in Bosnia
Mr. Hatem Azzam
Former MP and Secretary General of the Energy and
Industry Committee at the Egyptian Parliament
Dr. Amr Darrag
Former Minister of Planning and International
Cooperation, Egypt
Mr. Sherif Diab
Human rights activist
Mr. Kotb Elaraby
Chairman, Arab Media Monitor
Mr. Mostafa Eldesoky
Center for Egyptian American Relations (CEAR)
Mr. Ahmed Sami Farag
Human rights activist
Ms. Sawsan Gharib
Political activist
Mr. Safei-Eldin Hamed
Center for Egyptian American Relations (CEAR)
Ms. Tawakkol Karman
Peace Nobel Prize laureate 2011, Yemen
Ms. Aya Hijazi
Director, Belady Foundation
Mr. Emad El Daimi
MP, Tunisia
Mr. Mohamed Sherif Kamel
Political and human rights activist
Mr. Ehab Lotayef
Egyptian Canadian Coalition for Democracy
Mr. Amin Mahmoud
Center for Egyptian American Relations (CEAR)
Mr. Walid Moustafa
Political activist
Mr. Mohamed Okda
Director, Insight Into Crisis
Dr. Ali Alawady
German Egyptian Union for Democracy
Mr. Adel Rashed
Former MP, Egypt
Dr. Osama Rushdi
Former member of the Egyptian National Council of
Human Rights
Mr. Muhammad Shoubir
Center for Egyptian American Relations (CEAR)
Dr. Fatma Taha
Egyptian Canadian Coalition for Democracy
Dr. Mohamed Taher
Egyptian Canadian Coalition for Democracy
Mr. Yehia Hamed
Former Minister of Investment, Egypt
Dr. Samia Harris
Human rights activist