🔴 Open-ended hunger strike inside Badr 3 prison amid inhumane conditions
A number of lawyers and detainees at Badr 3 prison have entered an open-ended hunger strike in protest against the inhumane conditions, mistreatment, and deterioration of health services, amid the ongoing arbitrary detention and the policy of recharging on multiple cases in violation of the law.
Among the strikers is lawyer and human rights activist Osama Bayoumi, who has been detained for more than 4 years. He began his strike in objection to the violations he has faced, as he was arrested in connection with case number 640 of 2018, State Security. After the legal detention period expired, he was not released but was instead recharged in connection with case number 1096 of 2022, State Security, and then in cases number 222 of 2021 and 2976 of 2021, State Security, despite exceeding the maximum period of pretrial detention in all three cases, with continued refusal to release him without legal reasons.
Bayoumi suffers from severe medical neglect, having developed an inflamed fatty cyst in his head while in custody that requires surgical removal and medical analysis. However, he received incorrect treatment that led to serious complications, including increased gland activity, elevated liver enzymes, high cholesterol, and dryness of the eyes and skin. He also suffers from a fracture in the nasal septum that requires urgent surgery to avoid blood clots and difficulty breathing, in addition to a herniated disc resulting from poor detention conditions, and he has been denied regular treatment for more than 10 months.
The hunger strike has resulted in Bayoumi falling into a coma more than three times, which was handled in a non-medical manner, including only administering painkillers and refusing to conduct a medical examination on one occasion.
According to circulating information, the number of hunger strikers inside Badr 3 prison has risen to about 40 detainees, amid deteriorating living and health conditions, with some detainees having exceeded 13 years of detention, in addition to the ongoing recharging, fabrication of charges, and pressure within the prison.
This week, the prison witnessed a collective hunger strike lasting two full days, involving more than 500 detainees, who completely refused to accept food meals, while the deprivation of exercise has continued for more than a month, alongside covering surveillance cameras in about 160 to 165 cells across various sectors, including disciplinary and execution sectors, amid security pressures and threats.
According to the information, the collective hunger strike was temporarily suspended, granting the prison administration a deadline to improve living conditions, allow visits and exercise, and address the issue of freedoms and the release of arbitrarily detained individuals, with meals starting to be accepted from today, with escalatory steps expected in the coming days, which may include a complete refusal of food and entering into a comprehensive strike.
At the same time, at least 20 detainees have entered a complete hunger strike, including lawyers and young people under the age of thirty, in addition to detainees over the age of 65, in protest against their continued detention without justification.
These developments come amid extremely dangerous health conditions inside Badr 3 prison, where 10 deaths have been recorded over the past year due to serious illnesses, including cancer, brain hemorrhage, strokes, high blood pressure, kidney diseases, and hepatitis, which warns of an impending humanitarian disaster with the escalation of strikes.
#Al_Shehab_Human_Rights_Center
