HRW accuses Egypt of ‘collective punishment’ of inmates

Human Rights Watch yesterday accused Egypt of imposing punitive conditions on hundreds of inmates at one of its most notorious prisons in collective punishment for a foiled September escape attempt.

The New York-based watchdog said evidence including a leaked video and a smuggled letter showed authorities had deliberately exacerbated already poor conditions at Cairo's Scorpion Prison, where many political prisoners are held.

"Egyptian authorities are apparently imposing collective punishment on hundreds of inmates in Scorpion Prison, " said HRW's deputy Middle East and North Africa director, Joe Stork.

The interior ministry has said that three policemen were killed in September's abortive jail break in which four death row inmates were shot dead.