June 25th 2019
Family Submits Appeal to UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Human Rights Council Special Procedure Groups
An urgent action request for Dr Essam El-Haddad and Gehad El-Haddad has been submitted to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Human Rights Council Special Procedure Groups.
The Haddad family has teamed up with Dr. Juan E. Méndez, the former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, who currenlty oversees the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the Washington College of Law.
The team also included Ms. Macarena Sáez, faculty director of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian, Ms. Vanessa Drummond, assistant project director of the Center’s Anti-Torture Initiative, and Ms. Katherine Holcombe, assistant director of Impact Litigation and the Kovler Project Against Torture, formerly known as the United Nations Committee against Torture (UN CAT) Project.
The Egyptian Government has been arbitrarily depriving Dr. Essam El-Haddad and his son, Gehad El-Haddad, of their freedom since July 3, 2013 and September 17, 2013, respectively. They have been held in solitary confinement for 2183 days. Evidence has been submitted to the UN Special Rapporteurs confirming that Gehad and Dr Essam have been tortured and their lives are at risk.
“My father and brother’s health has severely deteriorated. My brother can no longer walk on his own and is at risk of losing his leg after he was tortured by Egyptians authorities. My father has suffered four heart attacks while in detention and continues to suffer from a number of serious medical conditions. Both are being denied urgent medical care and we are afraid for their lives”
-Abdullah El-Haddad [son and brother]
Under international law, prolonged solitary confinement constitutes cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment that may arise to the level of torture.
With the recent death of President Morsi, the family is concerned about the lives of Dr Essam and Gehad due to similar lack of medical care and prolonged solitary confinement. The family calls on the international community to press Egypt for their freedom.
For more information:
freehaddad@gmail.com
https://www.freehaddad.org/
https://twitter.com/gelhaddad
https://www.facebook.com/Foreign.Relations.President.Asst.Egy/
https://www.facebook.com/Gehad-El-Haddad-556812471168476/
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