Egypt Denies Claims of Violations in Prisons

Egyptian workers are seen in front of the new headquarters of Egypt's parliament in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) east of Cairo, Egypt June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
Egyptian workers are seen in front of the new headquarters of Egypt's parliament in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) east of Cairo, Egypt June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
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Egypt Denies Claims of Violations in Prisons

Egyptian workers are seen in front of the new headquarters of Egypt's parliament in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) east of Cairo, Egypt June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
Egyptian workers are seen in front of the new headquarters of Egypt's parliament in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) east of Cairo, Egypt June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo

Egypt denied claims made by the Muslim Brotherhood group regarding what it said were "violations" inside one of the Egyptian prisons.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday, it stated: “There is no truth to what has been circulated by the media outlets affiliated with the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group and its fugitive elements, who fabricate allegations and lies about violations in the Qanater Prison”.
Egyptian authorities have branded the Muslim Brotherhood a “terrorist organization” since 2014.
According to the Ministry statement, “Qanater Prison has been closed, and there are no inmates”.
It dismissed the allegations as part of "the usual practice of the terrorist group and its affiliated elements to spread false allegations in an attempt to cause disturbance after losing their credibility”.
Security authorities in Egypt have previously accused the Muslim Brotherhood of spreading “lies” related to prisons, prisoners, and the country's conditions.
Most of the Muslim Brotherhood leaders lie in Egyptian prisons over accusations of “violence and murder” acts that erupted following the ousting of former President Mohamed Morsi from power on July 3, 2013 after the popular protests.
They have been sentenced to death, life imprisonment, and lengthy prison terms.



Palestinian President Abbas Appoints New Deputy in Major Step in Naming Successor

Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, gestures during an interview with The Associate Press at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 13, 2022. (AP)
Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, gestures during an interview with The Associate Press at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 13, 2022. (AP)
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Palestinian President Abbas Appoints New Deputy in Major Step in Naming Successor

Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, gestures during an interview with The Associate Press at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 13, 2022. (AP)
Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, gestures during an interview with The Associate Press at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 13, 2022. (AP)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday named a veteran aide and confidant as his new vice president. It’s a major step by the aging leader to designate a successor.

The appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organization does not guarantee he will be the next Palestinian president. But it makes him the front-runner among longtime politicians in the dominant Fatah party who hope to succeed the 89-year-old Abbas.

Abbas hopes to play a major role in postwar Gaza. He has been under pressure from Western and Arab allies to rehabilitate the Palestinian Authority, which has limited autonomy in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.  

The PLO is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people and oversees the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. Abbas has led both entities for two decades.