The Cairo-based Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) on Thursday denounced the "deplorable treatment" of Darfurian refugees in Egypt at the hands of Egyptian police. In a statement, the organization noted that it had received complaints that a number of Darfurian refugees had been arrested by Egyptian police over eight months ago but that their place of detention remained unknown. It also asserted that detainees had been denied visitation rights and were being subject to a number of human rights violations, including torture and arbitrary detention. EOHR Secretary-General Hafez Abu Seada called on the government to investigate torture claims and put a stop to the deportation of detained refugees. He also demanded that all detained refugees' whereabouts be disclosed and that they be allowed to communicate with family members. Abu Seada also urged the government to abide by an international convention on the treatment of refugees, noting that the forced deportation, torture and arbitrary detention of refugees constituted clear violations of the agreement, which states: "No country can deport an individual to another country if there is sufficient reason to believe they might be tortured as a result." Translated from the Arabic Edition.
