Egypt's prisons still rife with torture

[Jefferson23]

Human rights groups say at least 25,000 people have been detained in the past year, while dozens have died in custody.

Al Jazeera Last updated: 29 Aug 2014 09:50

Cairo, Egypt - Amr* was arrested in March while having a cup of tea with two friends at a coffee shop in downtown Cairo.

Four months later, the 17-year-old remains in jail, accused of involvement with Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, an armed group in the Sinai that has claimed responsibility for a number of armed attacks against Egyptian security forces.

"We didn't hear anything about him for 70 days," Amr's sister, who requested anonymity, told Al Jazeera. "Then we discovered he was kept for a week in Azouli military prison, where he was brutally tortured by the police."

After days of torture, Amr confessed to being a member of the armed group. "He has suffered from heart disease since he was a child," one of Amr's friends, who also requested anonymity, said. "He was tortured with electricity and was scared that he would die because of his weak heart."

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/07/egypt-prisons-still-rife-with-torture-201472884228588.html

[3rdwaydem]

1. This sort of thing is so disheartening to hear about.