Complaints of physical assault in Borg al-Arab prison, over the past 4 days, drove dozens of inmates' families to flock to the complex to check on their relatives. Th move that was met with rejection from the prison’s management.
At Borg Al-Arab prison, Al-Masry Al-Youm met the worried and tense relatives of some inmates. They said there is instability inside the prison, after one police officer threatened to execute inmates sentenced to the death penalty and ban visits until that time.
Some100 inmates have been moved to Minya prison and 225 to Gamasa prison in dispatches over the past days, while some were transferred to Wadi Al-Natron prison on Friday.
A woman standing among those gathered at Borg Al-Arab prison on Friday told Al-Masry Al-Youm that she visited her father 4 days ago and signs of torture were visible on his body. He told her that some inmates are being tortured daily.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said “They took my father's medications away from him and all his belongings. I saw some [inmates] with injuries to their heads and another one with burns on his arm.”
Mahinour al-Masry, an attorney for some inmates, said that there are cases of torture and violence crimes in Borg Al-Arab prison.
Hend Kahwagy, the sister of one inmate, said she visited her brother for 10 minutes only and wasn’t allowed to stay any longer than that, while prison rules assert her right to stay for as long as one hour with her brother. Kahwagy described the treatment inside the prison as “brutal.”
Families of some inmates filed reports against the prison with West Alexandria's prosecutor's office, said Mohamed Hafiz, an attorney representing some inmates.
Hafiz explained that until now, nobody has answered the families' questions on what is happening to their relatives and that a number of prisoners have been subjected to tear gas and batons assaults.
