UN calls for release of ex-aide to Egypt's Morsi

An Egyptian father and his son have been detained unlawfully since 2013 as part of the political persecution of ex-aides to the country’s first democratically elected President Mohammed Morsi, and should be freed immediately and compensated, a U.N. human rights experts said.

The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention posted its findings last week after examining the cases of former Morsi adviser Essam al-Haddad and his son Gihad. The panel said that Egyptian authorities had not responded to its inquiries.

In 2013, the then-Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi led a bloody military coup, ousting President Morsi. Since then, a harsh crackdown on dissidents, not only the Muslim Brotherhood but anyone who opposed el-Sissi, has commenced.

The latest constitutional referendum last month paved the way for el-Sissi to remain in power until 2030. Despite the country’s struggle for economic improvement, human rights violations have become increasingly alarming.

The death of former President Morsi has put the spotlight on the dire conditions faced by political prisoners in the country. There are approximately 60,000 political prisoners in Egypt. According to the Arab Organization for Human Rights, over 700 Egyptian prisoners have died as a result of medical negligence since 2011. Human rights groups have said conditions in the detention centers, including medical and nutritional supplies, are insufficient.

Likewise, in an article by Maged Mandour published by Sada, an online platform under Carnegie International, it is believed that Egyptian security forces deliberately deprive the detainees of food so they die of starvation.