Skip to main content

Egypt fills its prisons, but don't worry, it'll make more

Egypt's human rights violations are flooding its prisons with more people than they can handle.
Al Jazeera television journalists Mohamed Fahmy and  Baher Mohamed are seen behind bars before hearing the verdict at a court in Cairo, Egypt, August 29, 2015. An Egyptian court sentenced three Al Jazeera TV journalists to three years in prison on Saturday for operating without a press licence and broadcasting material harmful to Egypt, a case that has triggered an international outcry. The verdict in a retrial was issued against Mohamed Fahmy, a naturalised Canadian who has given up his Egyptian citizenshi

Egypt's worsening human rights abuses are not going unnoticed. People are being assaulted on many fronts, from travel restrictions and false imprisonment to limits on freedom of expression, torture and killings.

In an example of this trend, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a presidential decree Jan. 13 designating 100 acres of land for construction of the new Giza Central Prison, a huge structure and its ancillary buildings, in the Giza desert.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.