A prisoner suffering from Tuberculosis died Saturday while being held in custody at Boulaq Police Station, reported the Ministry of Interior.
On Sunday, the prosecution ordered for the body to be buried.
The prisoner, whose name has not yet been disclosed, was being transferred to Boulaq hospital when he died, the prosecution said. Investigations revealed that the prisoner was detained awaiting investigations by the prosecution on charges of possessing narcotics.
Preliminary investigations said the prisoner suffered from Tuberculosis and was previously transferred to the hospital to receive treatment.
On Saturday, a prisoner named Badr Shehata also died in Borg Al-Arab prison in Alexandria amid accusations that security forces had “tortured him to death”, according to the Egyptian Coordination of Rights and Freedoms (RCRF).
ECRF said that Shehata was tortured by an officer in prison.
Shehata was serving a 15-year prison sentence, which he received in a military court.
Detention centres at Egyptian police stations have gained a negative reputation of being small and lacking ventilation, with several human rights organisations documenting medical negligence.
However, Egyptian authorities have repeatedly denied the presence of poor treatment and lack of services.
In January, police forces arrested doctor and activist Taher Mokhtar on charges of possessing leaflets advocating for better treatment and medical care inside prisons.
The police have used these papers as evidence for his arrest, but Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the real reason behind his arrest is his work documenting health negligence and violations inside prisons.
Late prosecutor general Hisham Barakat organised in 2015 a visit to detention centres at a number of police stations, where he observed several “violations”, such as the presence of insects and rubbish, state media reported. The police stations included those in Ain Shams, El-Marg, Shubra El-Kheima, and Matariya.
Over-crowdedness observed by the prosecution can lead to the spread of diseases and death among patients with diabetes and high blood pressure, said the prosecution. Members of the prosecution said that conditions of the cells were “inhumane”.
