Voice of the Copts’ representative in Egypt, attorney Ashraf Edward, relayed the following information from Cairo:
On January 27th, Egyptian law enforcement and special police under Mubarak’s control went into Al-Fyom prison, 50 miles north of Cairo, and ordered all prisoners to change from prison uniform into civilian clothing and board a bus prepared to take them to Cairo with the express purpose of countering protesters and creating disorder in the streets.
The majority followed these orders and went to Cairo while some refused (168 in total) and were left to submit to military police who returned them to the prison. Mubarak’s special police then killed all prisoners and also killed the head prison guard along with two of his officer assistants.
Their bodies were recently discovered in the autopsy room of a hospital in Cairo. Many were found to have been burned with gas and treated with electric shock, and some had fingernails missing.
A thirty-nine year old prisoner was killed by a shot to his head, according to an Egyptian Secret Service agent who was an eyewitness. The inmate had been waiting for his father to arrive at the prison with borrowed money to pay his bond of 100 Egyptian pounds (thirty dollars) so he could be released.
We are waiting for additional information from the same source in Cairo.
Dottore Architetto Ashraf Ramelah, President
— Nina Shea is director of Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom.