Egyptian detainees issue call for government to apply new caps to pretrial detention

Egyptian prisoners held in pretrial detention have urged the government to implement the new statutory limits outlined in the recently adopted Criminal Procedure Code. The new legislation, set to begin in October, aims to cap periods of pretrial detention. In a letter addressed to the Egyptian government, an anonymous group of detainees expressed hope that the new law would enable them to regain their freedom and rights.

Rights defenders have praised the detainees' efforts, with Samar Elhussieny, executive director of the Egyptian Human Rights Forum, stating that the group is seeking a solution while accepting the government's limitations. One of the signatories is a 70-year-old doctor who has been in pretrial detention for over six years, suffering from poor health due to lack of proper medical care.

The letter was followed by another statement, "Enough is enough," signed by prisoners from various prisons, calling for the release of all detainees and condemning various forms of arbitrary detention and unfair treatment.

Political researcher Saif Alislam Eid, who is in contact with the group, mentioned that they plan to stage a prison strike if their demands are not met. Despite the government's claims of progress, rights defenders remain skeptical that the changes will result in the release of 60,000 political detainees currently in pretrial detention.

Critics have also raised concerns about the new code's potential to expand police and prosecutorial powers, limit access to legal counsel, and allow for extrajudicial arrests and enforced disappearances.