Cairo: 18 August 2020
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) said today that the severe torture that citizen Ayman Sayed Sayed Ahmed, aka “Ayman al-Sisi”, claimed he had subjected to following his illegal detention at the National Security headquarters located in Abbasiya Square (the former headquarters of the Police Cadets), especially that there are visible signs of physical torture on his body, requires not only an urgent Forensic Medical examination, but also a serious action by the Public Prosecutor regarding this headquarters, which has turned into a hotbed of torture against citizens- both men and women- in Egypt.
Yesterday, the State Security Prosecution proved in its investigations citizen Ayman al-Sisi had subjected to physical and psychological torture for 45 days, adding that there are signs and marks of torture clearly shown on his body, which led him to suffer a complete memory loss. Al-Sisi mentioned in the investigation that he was beaten with a heavy stick and was subjected to electric shock torture. He was also exposed to a very hot air (a heat source) which leaves burns all over his body, including his genitals.
Ayman al-Sisi said in the investigations that the security forces arrested him in early July 2020 from his workplace at Al-Marg district, where he worked as director of the Technology Development Center. The security forces also searched his home, seized his laptop- not mentioned in the investigation papers- and illegally detained him for 45 days at the Abassya National Security headquarters, where he had subjected to a wide range of torture methods that are forbidden and incriminated by law. Al-Sisi had been held in illegal detention until he appeared yesterday evening at the State Security Prosecution to be interrogated into the Case No. 680 of 2020 on charges of “joining a terrorist group, providing it a financial aid and publishing false news that harms the national economy”.
The Prosecution then examined the victim and proved that there are signs of torture on his body, which necessitates an immediate examination by the Forensics Medical Authority before his injures heal and those accused of torturing him escape punishment.
ANHRI calls on the Public Prosecutor to form inspection committees of the Public Prosecution’s members to periodically inspect all the headquarters of the National Security Sector- especially those that are accused of practicing torture, such as Abassya State Security headquarters- and to open serious, urgent, and transparent investigations into all torture reports submitted to the Public Prosecutor. ANHRI also demands to hold those involved in these torture reports accountable in accordance with the law as well as Egypt’s international obligations, including its signature and ratification of the Convention against Forms of Torture and Cruel Treatment and Degrading of Human Dignity.
A complaint into a previous incident of torture at the same headquarters:
