Egypt detainees languish in jail with 'no end in sight' Issued on: 25/02/2021 - 04:14 A policeman opens the gate to Al-Qanatir women's prison in Qalyoubiya province, about 30 kilometres north of Egypt's capital. Khaled DESOUKI AFP 4 min Cairo (AFP) Already faced with the prospect of spending several years in overcrowded and often violent jails, Egypt's political prisoners are often charged with crimes they allegedly committed while behind bars. In a practice dubbed by the country's legal and activist community as "recycling" or "rotation", inmates can end up in detention indefinitely -- even after a court has ordered their release. Solafa Magdy, 33, a journalist, and her husband Hossam el-Sayed, a photojournalist, were arrested in November 2019 from a cafe in an upmarket Cairo suburb along with a mutual friend.