The commissioners for the State Council’s Administrative Court adjourned on Thursday a lawsuit demanding the shutdown of the heavy-guarded al-Aqrab prison to June 15.
The petition was signed by El Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture, the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms, the Hisham Mubarak Law Center, the Arab Observatory for the Freedom of Information, the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, the Committee for the Defense of the Oppressed and the Association for the Freedom of Thought and Expression, in coordination with the families of the inmates in Aqrab prison.
Human Rights Watch accused the Egyptian authorities of practicing what they described as the “usual violations” in Aqrab, pointing out that these violations may have contributed to the death of some inmates.
Prison inmates are subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment by the Ministry of the Interior, which may amount to torture in some cases, the organization added.
Human Rights said Aqrab prison violates basic international standards for the treatment of prisoners.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
