Protection of the right to life and physical integrity of the prisoners and detainees is the responsibility of the State

 Cairo 20^thAugust 2013

Protection of the right to life and physical integrity of the prisoners and detainees is the responsibility of the State

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) expresses its deep regret over the killing of 36 person who were arrested by the Egyptian authorities during their referral to Abu Zaabal prison (Qalubia - north of Cairo), on Sunday, 18 August 2013.

The ACIJLP points out that the responsibility to protect the right to life and the right to physical integrity of detainees should be fall under the Egyptian government that must fulfill its international commitments and obligations, in particular the commitment contained in the provisions of Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, according to which the Government is committed to treat all persons deprived of their liberty with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, as well as protecting the right to life.

The ACIJLP points out that gross negligence or confusion in the administration, does not negate the responsibility of the state, particularly if there is a threat to the right to life and the number of victims, who were at the disposal of the government.

The ACIJLP also suggests that many of the relevant international covenants and declarations, particularly the code of conduct for law enforcement officials, stated that the respect of human dignity while carrying out their duties and maintaining the human rights of all persons.

The ACIJLP believes that law enforcement officials in Egypt, especially the police officers who are in dire need of training and rehabilitation programs on law enforcement in conformity with the provisions and principles of human rights in order to have the right to life and physical integrity in mind in their enforcement of law.

The ACIJLP expresses its regret about this incident, and hold the Egyptian government responsibility for it. The ACIJLP also calls upon the concerned authorities to take the necessary judicial measures, in particular the opening of an urgent, independent and impartial investigation to reveal the circumstances of this incident, and call all those who were connected to or participated in these crimes, and brought them to investigation to find out the reasons and determine who is responsible for it, and the nature of the role of each individual, as well as the announcement of the results of these investigations on domestic public opinion, and to bring the perpetrators to quick a fair and equitable trial.

The ACIJLP calls upon the concerned Egyptian authorities to take measures to develop and implement training and rehabilitation programs to law enforcement officials in Egypt which focus on the strong role of these officials in the protection of human rights.