(AFP Photo)
By Fatma Khaled
Detained supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi have been denied many of their rights, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday.
The organisation said it had gathered testimonies from hundreds of detainees who were denied their legal right to a lawyer and prohibited from contacting their families. It added that detainees had undergone various forms of mistreatment, including electric shock and beating by rifle butt.
The organisation stated that 660 have been arrested in Cairo since the removal of Morsi, including several Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) leaders.
Some have paid bails of EGP 1,000 or 5,000, but many unable to afford this have remained in jail.
The statement also urged Egyptian authorities to conduct a full investigation into reports of detainees arrested at the Republican Guards clashes, highlighting that all detained suspects in the incident must either be promptly charged or released.
Allegations of ill-treatment should also be investigated and Egyptian authorities should respect rights of those facing accusations and protect protesters from violence, said Hassiba Hadj Sahroui, deputy Middle East and North Africa Program director at Amnesty.
Sahroui also stressed in the statement the necessity of the public prosecutor’s office proving itself as an independent entity, “unaffected by political discourse.” Otherwise, she said, its rulings will be viewed as unjust.
She also remarked that the establishment of trust in the judiciary system is “inconceivable if security forces continue to exclusively target Morsi and his supporters.”
Amnesty International added that any accusations made should be supported with evidence that could be tested in court.
