CAIRO: The annual human rights report for 2008 released by the US State Department criticized Egypt’s continued abuses singling out the government for its poor track record.
“The government s respect for human rights remained poor, and serious abuses continued in many areas . Security forces used unwarranted lethal force and tortured and abused prisoners and detainees, in most cases with impunity, the report on Egypt read.
The report stated that security forces committed arbitrary and unlawful killings, usually as a result of police brutality. It points to a number of specific cases where citizens have been killed by police forces as well as highlighting that torture was still prevalent against prisoners, detainees and persons who have not been formally accused of any crime.
“Police and the SSIS reportedly employed torture methods such as stripping and blindfolding victims; suspending victims by the wrists and ankles in contorted positions or from a ceiling or door-frame with feet just touching the floor; beating victims with fists, whips, metal rods, or other objects; using electric shocks; dousing victims with cold water; and sexual abuse, including sodomy, the report stated.
The report also maintained that the Egyptian judiciary “was subject to executive influence and corruption, and that under the emergency law many cases could be referred to emergency and military courts where the accused would be stripped of many rights afforded to them in regular courts.
Head of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights Hafez Abu Saeda concurred with the findings of the report regarding the continued and systematic level of human rights abuses in Egypt.
“We are still subject to the emergency law, there are continued detentions of political activists and bloggers for example so the abuses still continue, he said.
Concerning press freedom, the report stated that the government appropriated the emergency law to restrict freedom of the press in practice; although it did point out that there was “vigorous criticism of the government in the press up to and including the president.
However, the report did say that journalists were harassed, detained and assaulted throughout the year.
The general report stated that regarding human rights in the US and by extension, Iraq and Afghanistan, “We do not consider views about our performance voiced by others in the international community … to be interference in our internal affairs.
Egypt has often condemned US criticism of its human rights record as interference in domestic affairs, which it does not tolerate.
However, Abu Saeda believed that the report and its findings could influence Egypt in a more positive way and not necessarily be ignored.
“This report is related to US foreign policy and sometimes it can have a positive effect, especially with an ally like Egypt which has strategic ties with the US so it might want to show them it is making strides in this direction, with, for example, the release of Ayman Nour, he said.
The report indicated that there was mindfulness about “both domestic and international scrutiny of the US’ record.
Introducing the report, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “We will pursue greater respect for human rights as we engage other nations and peoples around the world . America must first be an exemplar of our own ideals.
Clinton will be in Egypt March 2 to attend the Gaza reconstruction conference in Sharm El-Sheikh.
