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Detained 63-year-old Hassan Mubarak, brother of Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) manager Emad Mubarak, has been denied a medical follow up by the Boulaq Public hospital. This is despite his critical health condition, the El-Nadeem Centre for the Rehabilitation of Violence Victims reported Wednesday.
Mubarak was arrested on 30 May and detained for 15 days pending investigations in the Boulaq Police Station in Cairo. He was accused of illegally printing and distributing books without the permission of the publications’ owners.
During his time in police custody, Mubarak experienced breathing difficulties because of an “overcrowded cell and a lot of smoking”, El-Nadeem reported. Mubarak was transferred to the hospital two times before being returned to prison, until his condition worsened and he lost consciousness on 8 June.
An ambulance took him back to hospital, where he remained in intensive care until Tuesday based on an initial medical report issued on 9 June. The report stated he suffered a chest infection, high sugar level and dehydration, which required medical observation.
“Moreover, the report suspected enlargement of the prostate and advised Mubarak be examined by a urology surgeon,” El-Nadeem added. “But the specialist was not present at the hospital, so Mubarak was not allowed to stay in, despite the best efforts of outside doctors and members of the state-affiliated National Council for Human Rights (NCHR).”
According to lawyer Rajia Omran, the NCHR member who handled the case, Mubarak awaits a renewal decision of his detention period. “The hospital refused our requests to keep Mubarak in after he got out of the IC,” Omran told Daily News Egypt Wednesday.
El-Nadeem heavily criticised the hospital’s attitude towards Mubarak’s needs, as patients who go into intensive care usually require close follow-up and implied the hospital administration received “orders” to do otherwise.
The centre said Mubarak is to see a doctor Thursday, as confirmed to Daily News Egypt by family sources.
Additional reporting by Mahmoud Mostafa
