Updates on the events leading to his death

Alkarama posted information about Mr Youssef Abu Zahri's case on 14 October 2009. Since then, Alkarama has collected further information about his case.

During the seven months of his detention, he was regularly taken from Burg al-Arab prison to the regional SSI building, in Kom Dekka near Alexandria or to the SSI headquarters in Nasr City for questioning. During these sessions he was severely tortured.

According to Alkarama's sources, he was electrocuted, whipped, beaten on the head whilst hanging by the legs and whipped on the soles of his feet. He was also kept in a cell full of water and deprived of sleep.

On 15 September 2009, Youssef Abu Zahri was again taken from Burj al Arab prison to the SSI building in Kom Dekka where he underwent another session of severe torture which lasted 4 days. He was returned to the prison on 19 September but his health was in such a poor state that after five days the prison authorities sent him to Alexandria University Hospital for medical attention. The doctors diagnosed that he had massive internal bleeding in his head and decided to keep Yusuf Abu Hahri in intensive care at the hospital for almost two weeks. However, he was taken back to Burj Al Arab prison on 8 October 2009, despite his continued critical condition.

Youssef Abu Zahri was pronounced dead on 10 October 2009. Egyptian prison authorities and the Ministry of Interior have publicly stated that he died of a heart and kidney failure due to a pre-existing condition, yet reliable Egyptians sources refute this claim.

When his body was sent back to his family in Gaza, an autopsy carried out by a medical team confirmed that his death was a result of torture. The team diagnosed that the cause of death was massive internal hemorrhage in Youssef Abu Zahri's head. This is consistent with the diagnosis of the University of Alexandria Hospital.

Egypt's ongoing failure to prosecute the perpetrators of torture

Mr. Youssef Abu Zahri died in custody as a result of torture. His right to life as stated in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) was thus violated by the Egyptian State Security Intelligence and the prison authorities which held him. In violating the UDHR, ICCPR, and CAT, Egypt is clearly in breach of its most fundamental human rights obligations in this case.

Alkarama regrets that this case is not an exception. Since the beginning of 2009, Alkarama has submitted nearly ten cases of arbitrary or summary execution in Egypt, most recently, that of Magdi Marei.

Alkarama will continue to closely monitor this case and inform the United Nations of any further developments.