04 August 2010

Egypt: Victim Risks Further Torture in Jail without Charge

Mese'ed Al-Shaf'i, 56, spent nearly a month in solitary confinement at State Security Investigative (SSI) services headquarters in Nasr City, Cairo. During this isolation period he was exposed to torture, while his family and lawyer had no idea of his whereabouts. He eventually reappeared at Al-Makhoum prison on 20 May 2010, where he remains illegally detained in total absence of any legal proceedings.

Mese'ed Al-Shaf'i was first arrested at his home in Nasr City on 19 April 2010 by SSI, in coordination with plain clothed Central Security forces that searched his home and arrested him without a warrant, before taking him to an unknown destination.

Following close to a month's disappearance, Mese'ed Al-Shaf'i's lawyer filed a complaint with Cairo's Public Prosecutor on 15 May 2010 regarding his disappearance. While he would reappear in prison five days later, the lawyer was nonetheless denied access to any information at the time of the complaint.

Despite his reappearance in prison, Alkarama fears that he may still be exposed to torture.

In an effort to raise concerns over the severity of the allegations of torture, Alkarama sent Masa'ad Al-Shafai's case to the Special Rapporteur on Torture, requesting his intervention with the Egyptian authorities.

According to verifiable sources within Egypt, Mese'ed Al-Shaf'i is presently denied proper medical treatment inside prison for wounds left by torture. This rejection also extends itself to judicial proceedings, as since his arrest, he has neither been charged nor tried.

Alkarama has requested that the Special Rapporteur request that the Egyptian authorities carry out a prompt impartial and independent investigation into the allegations of torture against Mese'ed Al-Shaf'i. Alkarama will continue to follow developments regarding his case and send updates to the United Nations human rights special procedures.

Morocco - HR Instruments

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

ICCPR: Ratified on 03.05.1979
Optional Protocol: No

Last State report: Overdue since 07.07.2015
Last concluding observations: 01.12.2004

Convention against Torture (CAT)

CAT: Ratified on 21.06.1993
Optional Protocol: Accessed on 24.11.2014
Art. 20 (Confidential inquiry): Yes
Art. 22 (Individual communications): Yes

Last State report: 30.06.2013
Last concluding observations: 21.12.2011

International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)

CED: Ratified on 14.05.2013
Art. 33 (Inquiry procedure): Yes

State report: Overdue since 14.06.2015
Last concluding observations: N/A

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Last review: 05.2012 (2nd cycle)
Next review: -

National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)

Conseil National des Droits de l'Homme (CNDH) – Status A

Last review: 10.2010
Next review: 11.2015