Serious escalation in the conditions inside the New Valley Prison,
following the start of an open-ended hunger strike by the detainees since the 15th of this month, in protest against the poor conditions and treatment inside the prison.
According to testimonies from the families of detainees, the past few days have witnessed a significant escalation after the detainees refused to end the strike, prompting the prison administration to deal with them violently. Sources reported that several detainees who were injured during the security response were transferred and given injections that caused vomiting and severe cramps as a form of punishment.
The testimonies added that the spread of this information within the wards led the detainees to raise their voices in chanting and banging on the doors, which prompted the prison administration to call in riot control forces to attempt to storm Wing 8. However, the collective chanting and the detainees' refusal led the responsible officer in national security – who returned to the prison due to the worsening crisis – to withdraw the forces and open a dialogue with them, without reaching a solution that meets the detainees' demands.
The detainees confirmed that they are willing to end the strike only inside the transport vehicle if a decision is made to transfer them from the prison, which has not yet been achieved.
In a very serious development, three detainees attempted actual suicide, and they were rescued at the last moment, namely:
• Ahmed Amer
• Ahmed Abdel Hafiz
• Mohamed Al-Husseini
All of them are from Fayoum Governorate.
The families also indicated that the prison administration has started transferring those with medical reports or health conditions, while the situation inside the prison has remained extremely tense and heated for the past two days, amid fears that the administration may resort to further repression.
The families assert that media and human rights pressure helps alleviate violations and prevents escalation against the detainees, and they demand that the spotlight not be taken off what is happening inside the New Valley Prison.
Al-Shehab Center for Human Rights calls for an immediate investigation into the reported incidents, to prevent any acts of violence or retaliation against the detainees, to improve living and health conditions inside the prison, and to ensure the safety of all detainees.
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