Attendees of a meeting on Sunday that included members of the Egyptian community in Kuwait and Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs Ahmed Ragheb addressed a number of sensitive issues, including the torture of some Egyptians in Kuwaiti police stations.
During the meeting, Ragheb said, “From now on, the assault on the dignity of Egyptians is unacceptable,” saying that “reciprocity would be the appropriate option.”
Following Ragheb’s statement, an Egyptian family living in Kuwait complained that their son, an engineering student, was tortured for a period of 21 days beginning on 26 January.
The son addressed Ragheb saying, “The officers took pictures of me naked and tortured me, while Egypt was celebrating the anniversary of the revolution.”
Another man said he was tortured for three days in an outpost after a fight with his roommates.
Following the meeting, the student’s mother told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the owner of the home they lived in, who also works as an employee in a police station, wanted to kick them out of the house, and when they refused to leave he beat her, her husband and her son, permanent disabling the latter.
She said that upon going to the police station to complain, the whole issue was turned against them. She said they were detained and that her son was tortured using electricity over a period of 21 days. She added that while they were detained they were threatened with fabricated charges and were beaten regularly.
“They beat me in front of my husband and son,” she said. “They beat my son while he was tied up, tortured and electrocuted him.”
“They attacked my husband and threatened him that they would hurt me,” she added. “We were only released after my daughter threatened to inform the Egyptian Embassy of her family’s disappearance.”
Meanwhile, Ragheb said all the cases would be investigated and resolved during his meeting with the Kuwaiti interior minister on Monday.
Ragheb, who was accompanied by a delegation of representatives from the Ministries of Defense, Customs, Foreign Affairs, Manpower, Education, Interior and Civil Affairs, said, “My colleagues at the embassy and consulate have frequently complained that the Kuwaiti authorities do not immediately inform them following the arrest of Egyptians.”
He urged the Egyptian community to immediately inform the embassy or the Foreign Ministry of any complaints or violations of their rights, saying that embassy officials would be periodically visiting Kuwaiti jails to ensure the well-being of Egyptian prisoners and detainees.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
