The undersigned organizations are deeply concerned about the deteriorating health conditions of refugees detained in Alexandria who require urgent medical care, among them at least two children (ages 6 and 14) and one woman who are in grave condition requiring immediate care. At the very least, the government must release these cases, most of whom are still detained despite release orders issued by the Public Prosecution, to enable them to obtain the necessary care immediately.
The undersigned organizations have documented a growing number of cases of poor and arbitrary treatment of Syrian and Palestinian refugees with Syrian documents in Egypt, which in recent months has seen a marked increase in arbitrary detention and press campaigns inciting hatred and violence against refugees after they were dragged into domestic political disputes.
From 11 August to 11 October, more than 670 Syrian refugees in Alexandria alone were arrested and arbitrarily detained, although most of them were in the country legally. Most of the detainees were arrested while attempting to leave Egypt for Europe, via Alexandria, after the Egyptian authorities began to arbitrarily arrest growing numbers of them in various provinces and following an anti-Syrian incitement campaign. Hundreds of Syrian refugees, including dozens of children, are still detained in Alexandria pursuant to national security directives, despite numerous release orders issued by the Public Prosecution. These refugees have not been convicted of any crime.
In addition to wrongfully detaining them, the Egyptian government has placed the refugees in crowded detention facilities lacking even minimum health standards, a widespread problem in all Egyptian prisons and detention facilities. Poor detention conditions, overcrowding, the lack of clean food and insect infestations have led to the spread of illness among the detainees, including skin diseases and respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.
The full article continues at http://eipr.org/en/pressrelease/2013/11/25/1883 on Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights’ website.