Egyptian Political Prisoner Mustafa Abu Al-Wafa Dies by Suicide Amid Torture and Neglect
After 19 months of imprisonment under severe conditions, Abu Al-Wafa took his own life, highlighting the ongoing crisis of mistreatment and mental health neglect in Egypt’s prisons.
Watan-The Egyptian human rights organization “Jawar” reported the death of political prisoner Mustafa Mohamed Abu Al-Wafa, a young Egyptian man, who took his own life by ingesting poisonous pills after suffering from the effects of mental illness and deplorable prison conditions.
According to a statement from the organization on Wednesday, Abu Al-Wafa, 27, was arrested from his home on May 15, 2023, and taken to an unknown location.
He remained in enforced disappearance for 37 days before appearing in connection with case 8852 of 2023, charged with affiliation to ISIS, despite having no prior criminal record or concrete evidence to support these accusations.
The Tragic Fate of Mustafa Abu Al-Wafa: Torture, Neglect, and a System That Failed Him
During his detention, Abu Al-Wafa was subjected to torture and mistreatment, leading to a deterioration of his health, especially since he had previously suffered from epilepsy, schizophrenia, and other physical and mental health disorders, as confirmed by his lawyers and medical personnel after he was examined by psychiatric professionals. Despite this, he was not released, and he spent 19 months in prison enduring compounded suffering.
After his release, Abu Al-Wafa found himself in a tragic situation where he lost his source of income and accumulated debts, prompting him to flee his home to escape creditors. Under these harsh circumstances, he took his own life, leaving behind a recorded message in which he held those who wronged him and destroyed his life responsible for his death.
Despite ongoing human rights demands for the improvement of prison conditions in Egypt, the deterioration of prisoners’ mental health remains a common issue that often drives detainees to attempt suicide to escape the harsh and inhumane conditions inside prisons.
Systemic Neglect and Tragedy: The Plight of Egypt’s Political Prisoners
Many human rights organizations have documented similar cases of prisoners in Egypt attempting suicide in recent years, including the case of Omar Adel, who ended his life after being subjected to mistreatment and held in a disciplinary cell, and Osama Murad, who tried to take his life by slashing his throat after being beaten and humiliated by the officers overseeing his detention.
Abu Al-Wafa’s death has reignited grief and anger, raising questions about the dire conditions faced by political prisoners in Egypt, both during their imprisonment and afterward, and how these conditions affect their health and lives.
This issue was addressed by the “No Statute of Limitations” initiative of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, which released a report today, stating that the “Public Prosecution, which is supposed to be the shield of justice and protect the rights of individuals, has become an integral part of the neglect suffered by prisoners and detainees with mental health disorders.”
