Egyptian woman activist: Torture in Egypt reached criminality

Egyptian activist Aida Seif al-Dawla said that torture at the hands of the Egyptian security forces reached the rate of criminality and should be disclosed so that the government will act to eliminate it.

Aida who took part in the founding of the al-Nadim center for psychological rehabilitation for torture victims said that despite certain positive aspects, the work against torture will not be easily eliminated as such practice has become very common. She continued "when we have started work in the issue of rehabilitation of torture victims, we found out we do not have an idea on what is taking place in the country and that what is taking place is a unchecked criminality."

Aida who is currently touring certain American cities at the invitation of the American Human rights monitoring organization said that al-Nadim center received since its foundation in 1993 some 1,000 citizens who were exposed to torture and they are not criminals. Aida ( 49 year old) complained that the workers in the center cannot challenge the officials responsible for torture operation, therefore many of the appeals they submit to the attorney general are preserved.