Chairman of Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) and Head of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights Diaa Rashwan criticized those who criticize the Reform and Rehabilitation Center in Wadi El-Natroun.
Speaking to the TV talk show “Al-Hekaya” on Friday 29/10/2021, Rashwan said that those who criticize the complex now are the same persons who were criticizing prison conditions in the past. He added that some reports tackled the prison conditions in Egypt, where part of such reports included allegations about the existence of torture and lack of health care, while other part talked about the overcrowding in which it is difficult for people to obtain their basic rights.
Rashwan pointed out that there are reports released by human rights organizations and some countries about the prison conditions, including a report issued by the US State Department three years ago, which talked about the existence of overcrowding in the Egyptian prisons. He said that the prisons are the homes of violators of the law and everyone who commits crime, adding that this complex aims the reform and rehabilitation of prisoners.
SIS Chairman explained that construction of the complex was started in November 2020, the matter which was preceded by the Cabinet’s decision on establishment of the Permanent Higher Committee for Human Rights under chairmanship of the Foreign Minister, and the General Prosecutor’s decision on establishment of a human rights unit in the General Prosecution. He added that the government issued a decision on establishing human rights units in all governmental bodies, referring to announcement of the national strategy for human rights and the abolition of the state of emergency.
Rashwan noted that the new prison complex will substitute 12 prisons in Egypt, the matter which contributes in preventing the overcrowding while providing good care for prisoners.
Talking about the number of prisoners in Egypt, Rashwan said that according to a website specialized in prison studies in the world, Egypt has 120,000 prisoners thus occupying the 127th place in the world, while USA occupies the 1st place with more than 2 million and 60.000 prisoners and Russia has 471,000 prisoners. According to the website, the percentage of pretrial detention in Egypt reaches 10% of those imprisoned against 45% in Switzerland, he added.
Upon directives of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, SIS gives the opportunity for foreign correspondents to visit different projects and prisons in Egypt, Rashwan said. He added that more than 60 correspondents from many countries visited the medicines city and seven prisons in Egypt in coordination with the Interior Ministry.
The Ministry of Interior has organized a visit for diplomats, journalists, parliamentarians, and human rights activists to the new prison complex in Wadi Al Natroun. The Reform and Rehabilitation Center of Wadi Al Natroun, which was built in just 10 months, will substitute 12 prisons, constituting 25 percent of Egypt’s prisons.
Source: State Information Service Egypt