CAIRO: Egyptian prison guards in the southwestern prison of Wadi Guedid reportedly beat inmates while conducting searches on July 24, Amnesty International said in an urgent appeal. The London-based rights group said that they believe those injured in the violence have not received any medical attention. The statement cited a family of one of the inmates, who detailed what they learned from the situation. “The family of Abu el-Maati Ahmed Abu al-Arab learned that prison guards had beaten him with sticks and cables when they came to search his cell, reportedly breaking his leg,” Amnesty reported. “His family believe he is still in his cell and has not received any medical treatment,” it continued. Abu al-Arab was arrested on February 3 after leaving protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square. He was then tried in controversial military courts and sentenced to five years in jail for “destroying public property.” Local and international rights groups, including Amnesty, have condemned the use of military trials in Egypt and have called on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to end their use against civilians and to release those convicted by them in the past five months since the January revolution. Military sources have admitted to trying and sentencing some 7,000 Egyptians via military courts, which has led to widespread anger and continued protests in the country. “When Mohamed Al Beheiry tried to visit his brother Amr Abdallah Al Beheiry in Wadi Guedid prison on July 25, he was told that his brother was being transferred to another prison,” Amnesty continued on the situation in the prison. “He managed to see his brother and five others as they were being prepared for transfer,” the statement continued. He told Amnesty International that one of the five was “lying on a stretcher and having difficulties breathing.” He said that the officer in charge of the transfer initially refused to take the man on the stretcher, saying “he needed urgent medical assistance, but all the men were later placed in the truck, in handcuffs.” According to the rights group, the man was then handcuffed to a stretcher and put in the vehicle. Prison guards then told al-Beheiry that his brother was moved to Wadi Natroun. When he pressed the guards further to get the man medical assistance, the officers allegedly told him it was “none of his business.” Lawyers told Amnesty International that the trip to Wadi Natroun Prison could take up to 48 hours as prisoners are transferred in a slow military train to north Cairo where they are transferred again to another truck to be taken to Wadi Natroun, Amnesty reported. Prison conditions in Egypt are well-known to be in a horrendous state, with overcrowding and a lack of resources. During the 18 days of protests that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak there were reports that a large number of prisoners had escaped. BM
