The Families of Egyptian Detainees Association (FEDA) has urged United Nations detention experts and the European Parliament to act after reports of hunger strikes and collective protests in several Egyptian prisons. The association says the demonstrations took place mainly between October 7 and 9 and warns that detainees’ health may be at risk.
Concerns raised by families
In an appeal dated October 10, FEDA asked the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to seek explanations from Egyptian authorities and help protect detainees from serious harm or reprisals for peaceful protest. It also sent a separate appeal to the European Parliament.
The group says complaints from detainees and relatives include restricted family visits, limited access to outdoor exercise and sunlight, delays or denial of medical care, and lengthy pretrial detention. It named facilities including Minya, Abu Zaabal, Badr, the Tenth of Ramadan and New Valley prisons, while cautioning that the available documentation differs between sites and remains under review.
Delay to criminal procedure law
FEDA also connected detainees’ frustration to the postponement of Egypt’s new Criminal Procedure Code. The law had been scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2026, but its implementation was delayed until October 2027. Some detainees had hoped its provisions would lead to reviews of their cases.
The association is calling for urgent attention to medical monitoring, legal safeguards and detention periods. Its claims about conditions and protests are based on information it says it is continuing to verify.
