Brotherhood supporter dies in Egyptian jail 'from medical neglect'

The family of Brotherhood member Essam Hamed has claimed the 50-year-old died in Egypt's Wadi al-Natrun prison after "deliberate medical negligence" from prison authorities.

The family said in a statement that Hamed, who was suffering from several chronic diseases, had requested to be transferred to a hospital but authorities turned down the appeal.

Hamid's family were notified of his death by phone, during a call asking them to collect the body from a Cairo morgue - which had labelled his corpse as "unknown".

Police arrested Hamed at the violent crackdown on the pro-Brotherhood protests at Rabaa Square in 2013. Around 900 people were killed during the raid, and more than 3,000 were injured.

The Nadeem Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture released a report last month revealing that 97 prisoners had died due to medical negligence during President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi's first year in power.

Human Rights Watch has also reported that scores of Egyptians have died in government custody in the past year after being held in overcrowded cells or not receiving adequate medical care for serious ailments.

Since former Islamist president Mohammad Morsi was ousted in a military coup led by Sisi, the former head of the armed forces, Egyptian authorities have cracked down harshly on Morsi's supporters.

Hundreds of people, including Morsi, have been sentenced to death in speedy mass trials described by the UN as "unprecedented in recent history".

At least 1,400 people, mostly Brotherhood supporters, have been killed and much of the Brotherhood's leadership has been arrested since Morsi's overthrow.