Egyptian prisons on the rise

“The government should consider building new prisons, as they are incredibly crowded,” said a short note released by the Egyptian National Center for Human rights ( NHCR), following its annual report, which stressed that Egyptian prisons are completely filled with detainees, reaching alarming figures, such as 160% to 200% of the capacity in prisons and 400% in police stations.

 

 “The figures are terrifying and it could cause health problems to prisoners, including death,” NCHR member Nasser Amin told CBC satellite channel.

 

Amin then explained that dozens of detainees who had been referred to investigation have died in prisons. The Interior Ministry announced on 11 November 2014 that the number of casualties reached 36, while some human rights NGOs said there was as many as 80 to 98, mostly due to poor living and health conditions, besides severe overcrowding in temporary detention facilities in police stations and prisons.

 

The NHCR report is very critical with the Interior Ministry, which denies the data, saying it is “exaggerated”, though it agreed that prisons “sometimes” could be crowded due to the high number of detainees who are under investigations.   

  

 

 

In 2013 the interim president Adly Mansour issued the decree No. 662, amending the presidential decree, ordering the evacuation of some of Egypt's prisons and building new ones.

 

According to Egyptian regulations, there are four types of prisons, and the differences between them are related to the penalties served by the convicts. 

 

"The ministry is expanding its prison network with new facilities, to lighten the burden on those which are overcrowded," the Deputy Minister of Interior for Human Rights Abu Bakr Abdel Karim said.

 

He pointed out that Giza Governorate has already built a new prison in 6th October City, besides other new facilities in Cairo, including Salam City and Nahda to accommodate the large number of prisoners,” Abdel Karim told CBC satellite news.

 

 

 

 

At the end of 2014, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb decided to allocate a designated area in Damietta to build a central prison for the province.

 

 

At the cost LE 750 million, the Interior Ministry has built a highly-secured new prison in Gamasa city at Dakahlia Governorate.

 

The facility was established to accommodate prisoners labeled as "extremely dangerous", who were sentenced to either rigorous imprisonment or life imprisonment. It was built using reinforced concrete, with 50 cm-thick walls. The construction, started in 2010, covers an area of 42 thousand square meters.

 

 

According the official gazette, General Magdi Abdul Ghaffar, Minister of the Interior, decided to establish a central prison at the police stations in “May 15” city.   

 

 

 

In November 2014, former Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim decided to establish a public high-security prison under the name of "Prison 2" in Tura neighborhood.

 

 

In July 2014, the governor of Kafr El-Sheikh decided to grant the Ministry of Interior 40 fedans to build a new public prison, to resolve the issues arising from transferring prisoners from Kafr Sheikh to a number of nearby facilities, including Tanta, Damanhour and Burj Al Arab.

 

 

In December 2014, Saeed Abdul Aziz, governor of Sharkia, announced the allocation of 10 feddans for a new public prison, following a request from the security services, which would be an alternative to Zagazig prison, which is located in the center of a residential area. 

 

 

In June 2014, Minya governorate opened the Minya prison, following a decision of the former Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim. The facility includes two prisons; the first will accommodates only criminals who were sentenced to life imprisonment, whereas the second one is public.