Amid heated conversations around Egypt about everything from a looming fiscal crisis to security apparatus abuses, former political prisoner Mohamed Soltan has refrained from personalizing the advocacy efforts for political prisoners in Egypt – until a few days ago, when he learned of troubling news of his father, who is being held in Akrab prison. Akrab is an infamous maximum security prison, which some have said is “worse than Guantanamo Bay” due to the torture and litany of abuses, including preventing access to adequate food, clothing and medications – allegedly taking place behind its walls. In a privately circulated letter, Mohamed reached out to friends, informing them of the development. Egyptian Streets acquired an exclusive copy. Dear Friends, I am writing to share a troubling development involving my father, who remains a political prisoner in the infamous Akrab prison in Egypt for the third year. On Sunday March 13th, 2016, we received news of the latest attack on my father by security officers. We were told the officer beat him until he was almost unconscious, breaking his jaw and two teeth in the process. The officer threatened that this was only a…
Letter from Mohamed Soltan: My Imprisoned Father is Paying the Price of My Advocacy
March 17, 2016
