Article 56 of the 2014 Constitution places prisons and places of detention under judicial
supervision, ensuring that detainees’ human dignity and health are preserved and not
compromised. Article 42 of Law No. 150 of 1950 on criminal procedure, as well as article 85 of
Law No. 396 of 1956 on the organization of prisons and article 27 of Law No. 46 of 1972 on the
judiciary, affirmed the jurisdiction of the Public Prosecution in supervising prisons and places of
detention, to ensure the application of the provisions of the law and the preservation of the life,
health and dignity of those sentenced. In accordance with Egypt's ratification of the United
Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, Law No. 152 of 2001 was passed, amending certain provisions of the Prisons
Regulation Act., including the abolition of flogging as a punishment for prisoners. Law No. 95 of
2002 further amended certain provisions of the Penal Code, including the abolition of the
penalty of hard labor, which was replaced with imprisonment. Law No. 6 of 2009 amended the
law on the organization of prisons, as well as introducing provisions for special medical
treatment of pregnant women prisoners.
In November 2016, the Ministry of the Interior held a cultural forum at Al-Marj Public Prison,
which dealt with the principles of punitive treatment in Egyptian prisons and efforts geared
toward improving and modernizing prisons. The forum was attended by a number of senior
Ministry of Interior officials and representatives of civil society organizations working in the field
of human rights, as well as representatives from the Human Rights Committee of the House of
Representatives. The event included a visit to prison facilities by representatives of Egyptian
and foreign media, and an inspection of some activities carried out by prisoners. The Ministry of
Interior has also taken a number of other steps, including:
a. Renovation of remand facilities to ensure a healthy environment for detainees.
B. Providing various types of medical care, both preventive and therapeutic, to prisoners
through the establishment of a local hospital for each prison, which includes treatment clinics in
all specialties, as well as a central hospital in each geographical area, equipped with an
operating room and specialist clinics and dispensaries.
C. The implementation of national campaigns to vaccinate against epidemics and diseases in
prisons, as well as referring prisoners with life-threatening chronic diseases to forensic
committees for release on health grounds.
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