The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
PRESS
RELEASE
The Egyptian Organization For Human Rights welcomes the abolishing of the whipping penalty |
Cairo: 23/12/2001
The Egyptian Organization For Human Rights welcomes the Egyptian parliament adopt the amendment to abolish the whipping penalty of the prison law in its session dated 22nd December 2001 . This penalty is stated in article 42/7 of law no. 396 of 1956 of prison regulation in Egypt in which it is stated that whipping can be used as a disciplinary punishment as follows" the prisoner can be whipped not more than 36 times and if the prisoner age is less than 17 years old he can be whipped by a thin stick not more than 10 times".
Whereas EOHR welcomes the abolishing of article 42/7 , it calls for the interior Minister to abolish article 81 of the prisons internal executive regulation issued by ministerial decree no. 79of 1961 which describes the tool used for whipping. This tool is a conic stick made of cudgel and its tall is 48cm. and its diameter is one inch. At one of its ends , there is a tightly twisted linen rope which is 25 cm. tall . At the end of this rope there are seven branches ; each branch consists of six knots and is 50 cm tall and 6cm thick.
EOHR is continuously repeating its request for abolishing the whipping penalty and its last request was in a press release dated 17th June 1996 following the resolution of the prison directorate in Tora to whip 40 prisoners and detainees.
It is clear that the abolishing of an article which is in conflict with of the Constitution and International Covenants is an important step towards improving the human rights situations in Egypt and it is true as the People Assembly pointed out that using this penalty is against the simple human rights and is a mean to disgrace , disrespect and harm the human dignity.
