(Washington, May 11, 2005)—Scores of alleged Islamist militants have been sent back to Egypt, where they have faced torture and serious mistreatment, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The United States is among the countries that have rendered such suspects to Egypt.
The Egyptian government has held many of the suspects in prolonged incommunicado detention. In some cases, Egypt has refused to acknowledge the whereabouts of those persons, and even the fact that they were in custody, raising concerns that some of the suspects have been forcibly “disappeared.”
The 53-page report, “Black Hole: The Fate of Islamists Rendered to Egypt,” identifies some 60 individuals, mostly alleged Islamist militants of Egyptian origin, whom other states rendered to Egypt since 1994. The sending states have mainly been Arab and South Asian countries, but include Sweden as well as the United States.
“Sending suspects to a country where they are likely to be tortured is strictly prohibited under international law,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Egypt’s terrible record of torturing prisoners means that no country should forcibly send a suspect there.”
Black Hole: The Fate of Islamists Rendered to Egyp