«5 minutes for 9 cases»: Massive protests inside court cages after 110 detainees were crammed in and retaliatory measures were taken against them

🔴 «5 minutes for 9 cases»: Massive protests inside court cages after 110 detainees were crammed in and retaliatory measures were taken against them

Today’s court session witnessed a major protest by detainees after a staged hearing was held for 9 cases involving around 110 detainees, who were present for a period of no more than just 5 minutes—ignoring suffocating overcrowding and the absence of basic guarantees for a fair trial.

📌 Details of the protest and the retaliatory response:

Cramming and arbitrary detention: Around 110 detainees were held inside 3 iron cages that do not accommodate more than 20 to 25 people per cage, with detainees from Badr Prison absent due to their extended hunger strike.

Staged trial and collective refusal: The nine cases were heard within 5 minutes, and the judge left; prompting the detainees to chant and denounce the situation, saying: “We want to go… enough with the performance,” and “This is a performance… we want freedom.”

Collective punishment and cutting off air and water: Security forces, including officers and personnel from Central Security, pushed in and shut off air extractors and fans and blocked ventilation outlets, while also preventing access to water and entry to restrooms, in order to completely exhaust the detainees.

Explicit security threats: A security official directed direct threats, saying: “By God, I’ll show you—come and face me. And next week, the trial will be by video so you can mess up, break things, and make the new law work for you.”

⚖️ Al-Shehab Center’s demands:

Immediate and independent investigation: The Public Prosecution is urged to open a transparent investigation into the security threats, the incident of cutting off water and ventilation, and measures of collective punishment.

Guaranteeing a fair trial: Halting staged hearings and superficial appearances, and enabling defendants and defense bodies to carry out their legal role with dignity.

Banning retaliation: Ensuring that no retaliatory penalties are imposed, or that trials are shifted to the “virtual” (video) system as a punitive measure.

Respecting capacity limits: Ending the cramming of detainees inside lethal cages and providing a humane and healthy environment in all venues of justice.

#AlShehab_Center_for_Human_Rights