مركز هشام مبارك للقانون

Heralds of Renewing Emergency Law
Hundreds of Borg al Arab Detainees Go on Hunger Strike
A 60 Year Old Striker Went to Hospital
With grave concerns the Hisham Mubarak Law Center has followed the huger strike launched since 25 May by hundreds of Borg al Arab detainees in protest against the measures the Ministry of Interior is practicing against them and against Sinai nomads. Sinai Bedouins have been confined under the state of emergency law only for being Bedouins. The justifications used to arrest them sustain this policy. They used to say, the Ministry of Interior of course, that the suspect vanishes at day and appears at night...he knows everything about Sinai roads and lanes...he isn't afraid of security staff while he casts fear on the hearts of security personnel and so on.
The health risks of the hunger strike have appeared on a number of hunger strikers, especially on the 60-year-old Issa Mohammad Adam whose health has deteriorated and was transferred to a hospital. Adam, who comes from Haliab and Shalateen, has spent so far five years in jail.
Immediately after Taba and Sharm al-Sheikh explosions the Egyptian government has launched indiscriminately mass crackdowns and arrests of Sinai Bedouins which confronted with criticism from human rights organizations nationwide. Under the state of emergency, which was expended for two    years to be ended on June 2010, hundreds of Sinai Bedouins were detained.     
In this context, HMLC is to file a communique to the Prosecutor-General on the hunger strike in order to an investigation be opened to reveal the reasons behind this strike.
 HMLC not only stresses for the necessity of releasing all detainees especially those who got release orders, but also holds the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Interior responsible for the life and health of hunger strikers. The center also claims for ending the state of emergency and respecting judicial decisions.