Tony Comaccio
“As most observers are aware, the human rights situation in Egypt has been deteriorating rapidly and severely over the past 7 years, as the country has descended into a virtual police state. Abuses by security forces have escalated, with the police and armed forces operating with almost complete impunity. There have been documented incidences of torture, forced disappearances, and deaths in custody; between 500-700 people have been ‘vanished’ by security forces since 2015.
“With the government ordering waves of mass arrests amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent, the country’s jails are overflowing and the court system has an enormous backlog which has led to rapid trials that pay little to no heed to due process or standards of evidence. We are extremely concerned about Tony’s safety, as he is being detained in one of Egypt’s most notorious prisons. Briton Laura Plummer, who spent 13 months in the same facility, said "At one stage I thought, 'I must be dead and this is hell'." Radha Stirling, CEO and founder of Detained in Dubai
“We urge the FCO to intervene with their counterparts in the Egyptian government to secure Mr. Camoccio’s release as soon as possible; and we would caution Western tourists against traveling to Egypt, given the fact that their rights are not guaranteed, and they can have no expectation of due process or a fair hearing in the country.”
Campaign group Detained in Dubai said he had been released from custody after paying about £1,000 in bail and other costs. Its chief executive Radha Stirling said the case had been dismissed for lack of evidence.
