CAIRO — The suspicious death of an activist at a Cairo prison Aug. 10 has cast doubt on the actual causes of death of other political prisoners and pre-trial detainees. 

Mostafa el-Gabrouny, 34, was the first member of the April 6 Youth Movement to die behind bars during the reign of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

After the Interior Ministry recently allowed visits to prisoners about six months following the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic in Egypt, Gabrouny’s brother went to Tora Prison on Aug. 17. He was informed that his brother was declared dead one week earlier by the prison’s hospital, and his body had been moved to a Cairo morgue without his family being notified of his death. 

“The prison’s officials claimed that my client was electrocuted when he touched a kettle inside his cell with his wet hand, which is rather illogical as prisoners aren't allowed kettles,” lawyer Nabeh el-Genadi told Al-Monitor. “An autopsy of his body has been conducted, but the cause of death has not been declared officially. We are still waiting for the coroner’s report and will take it from there."