A delegation from the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights headed by MP Alaa Abed visited Minya prisons area this morning to assess the human rights conditions in Minya's high security prison and other prisons.

This is the committee’s second visit during the parliament’s fifth session. Earlier this month, the committee inspected a number of police departments in Alexandria.

In its meeting on Sunday October 20, the committee decided to continue its visits to prisons, police stations, hospitals and poor villages in order to look into and respond to violation allegations raised by some international organizations in their periodical reports, and to ensure that human rights standards are applied.

During that meeting the committee agreed on sending letters of appreciation to the Minister of Interior and to the Human Rights Sector at the Ministry of Interior for ‘their good performance’, and to also send letters to the Prisons Authority and the Minister of Health for treating HIV patients in prisons and other 2,800 prisoners at the expense of the state.

The committee also decided to send more requests to authorities to release young detainees in accordance with the President's decision to pardon imprisoned youth.

The committee communicates and coordinates its efforts with the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR).

Last Thursday, a delegation from NCHR inspected women jail in El-Qanater area and El-Marg prison.

Death of former president Mohamed Morsi while in custody last June, raised concerns about the conditions of prisons and detention centers in Egypt, particularly the usage of solitary confinement and medical neglect.

Last August, the UN postponed an anti-torture conference on “defining and criminalising torture in the Arab region” which was scheduled to take place between 4 and 5 September in Cairo, after backlash from human rights activists who claimed that the police and security forces systematically use violence and torture in prisons and police stations.

Earlier this month, Alaa Abed, Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, said in a statement that there is a significant improvement in the human rights file in all security directorates nationwide, and that the Ministry of Interior treats all citizens with respect, whether in police departments, prisons or on the streets.