Shady Habash, an Egyptian filmmaker, who was imprisoned for mocking president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in a music video has died in Cairo’s Tora Prison complex.
According to Shady Habash’s laywer, Ahmed el-Khwaga, Habash, 24, was arrested in 2018 and imprisoned without trial over directing a video by Ramy Essam that mocked Abdel Fattah el-Sisi comparing him to a fruit while at the same time condemning alleged government corruption.
el-Khwaga further disclosed that Shady Habas’s health condition worsened for several days before he was taken to a hospital.
“His health had been deteriorating for several days. He was hospitalized, then returned to the prison yesterday evening where he died in the night,” said el-Khwaga.
Speaking about Habash’s state of mind when he last saw him two months ago, el-Khwaga said, “His psychological state was very bad.”
Various organizations, activists and lawyers within and outside the country have condemned government’s treatment of Habas while he was in prison.
Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) condemned the government action saying that Habas has died due “negligence and lack of justice” in the country.
A rights lawyer, Khaled Ali said that Habas should have been released after he had completed his jail terms two months ago.
Abdelrahman Ayyash who is a human right activist, shed a little light on the pitiable condition of Habas before his death.
“Shadi got very sick in his prison cell, his fellow inmates cried for help for some time, but guards and officers had not intervened until his last breath,” Abdelrahman said in a tweet.
