Pro Morsi sit-in at Al Nahda on Wednesday night 31 July 2013 (Photo by Mohamed Omar/DNE)
By Mostafa Salem
The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR) called on the Ministry of Interior to refrain from violence in a Thursday statement.
The 2300 member organisation stressed the importance of the application of international human rights standards, following an announcement by the interim cabinet that the sit-ins at Rabaa Al Adaweya Mosque and Nahda Square are threats to national security, and must be dispersed.
EOHR cited two articles from the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, which they said must be respected by the Ministry of Interior; firstly, the 13th article which stipulated use of non-violent means by law enforcement unless absolutely necessary; secondly, the 14th article, which stipulates law enforcement not use firearms unless in self-defence.
EOHR president Hafez Abo Saada stated that peaceful protests should be guaranteed, as long as they do not “pose a threat to citizens living there.”
The group called for restraint from the ministry against use of lethal force, and suggested methods by which the MOI could peacefully disperse the protesters, noting, “if weapons were discharged against a police officer, then retaliation does not contradict with human rights law.
A delegation of human rights lawyers has requested to meet arrested Muslim Brotherhood leaders (AFP File Photo)
A delegation of human rights lawyers has requested to meet arrested Muslim Brotherhood leaders, according to the Head of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) Hafez Abu Saada.
Abu Saada, one of the lawyers from the delegation, said they filed for the request early this week and are waiting for a response from the prosecutor general.
He said that there is no information about the arrested leaders, nor communication between them and their families or lawyers.
Abu Saada said: “We want to know how they’re being treated and if they have any complaints.”
He said the Brotherhood leaders they’re trying to visit are Deputy Supreme Guide Rashad Bayoumi and Khairet El-Shater, Freedom and Justice Party President Saad Katatni, former president Mohamed Morsi and lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud.
Abu Saada said Morsi’s location is still unknown, but the rest of the arrested leaders are in maximum security Al-Aqrab Prison in Tora.
The other members of the delegation are Negad El-Borei, head of the United Group law firm, Mohamed Zaraa, head of the Arab Penal Reform Organization and Ahmed Abdel Hafeez, EOHR member.
State-run Al-Ahram reported that Nasser Amin, head of the Judiciary Independence Centre, said his request to meet with Morsi was approved, but Morsi refused to meet him.
Amin was instead greeted by the former president’s chief of staff Refaa Al-Tatary, who told Amin that the former president and his team are being treated well and taken care of, Al-Ahram said.
Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Al-Azhar Grand Imam, strongly condemned the Republican Guards clashes in a national address (AFP/ File photo)
By Nourhan Dakroury
Leaders and parties from across the political spectrum condemned the violence that erupted early Monday morning in front of the Republican Guard Club, resulting in the deaths of 51 people and numerous injuries.
The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb said in a statement that he would go into religious seclusion if the bloodshed does not stop.
Al-Tayeb said that officials should set a time limit for the transitional period in Egypt, explaining that it should not exceed six months.
He emphasised that national reconciliation is essential, adding that the media should appeal to the public as well.
Al-Tayeb stressed the need for prompt investigations and an immediate announcement of their results.
The Egyptian Social Democratic Party (ESDP) voiced Al-Tayeb’s demand to start “an independent investigation to uncover the circumstances and to punish officials for the development of events, regardless of their affiliation.”
The demand was also echoed by the National Salvation Front (NSF), the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR), The Strong Egypt Party and the Tamarod (Rebellion) campaign, stressing that investigations must be transparent.
Mohamed El-Baradei, NSF leader, stressed the NSF’s demand to hold independent and transparent investigations, saying: “Egypt is in need for reconciliation with itself.”
El-Baradei added, “I strongly condemn violence in all forms against people irrespective of their beliefs or identity. The more peaceful, the stronger we become.”
NSF said in their statement that they condemn any attempt to assault the military buildings or personnel.
In their statement condemning violence, the EOHR said, “The stories differed as the events developed,” detailing that the military claimed they were attacked at the Republican Guard Club by armed groups, while the Brotherhood claimed that the armed forces shot at the protesters indiscriminately.
The statement read, “Despite of the different versions on the events, it is clearly visible that Egyptians have been killed, whatever their political, religious or ethnic affiliation, while protesting in front of the Republican Guard headquarters.”
The EOHR Head Hafez Abu Saada said in a statement that neither the 25 January nor the 30 June uprisings will succeed if all political parties do not unite and communicate peacefully.
The ESDP also condemned the violence that took place in front of the Republican Guard Club in a statement: “The party has stressed over and over the sanctity of Egyptian blood and has demanded all parties to maintain peaceful protests.”
The statement added, “[Maintaining peaceful events] applies to security and military forces as it applies to the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist officials, who have been inciting violence and terror, which has spread to all parts of the country these past few days.”
Sakina Fu’ad, advisor to the president for women’s affairs, said what happened at the Republican Guard Club is the “completion of the series of continuous killing that has not ceased since the people took to the streets [on 30 June] to voice their demands,” according to state-owned Al-Ahram.
Fu’ad stated she cannot believe that the armed forces would shoot at civilians. She claimed the event was only part of a plan in order to call for international intervention, under the cover of a call to support legitimacy.
Fu’ad stressed the importance of the Brotherhood being part of reconciliation talks and integrating once more with the Egyptian people.
NSF leader and head of Al-Tayar Al-Sha’aby Hamdeen Sabahy said: “It is the military forces job to defend the building and deal with anyone who attempts to attack it,” adding that the result of such an act puts Egypt “in a bad situation.”
Sabahy described what happened in front of the Republican Guard as “sad and very hurtful.”
The 6 April Front expressed their concern about what happened on Monday morning, saying that they completely respect Morsi supporters’ right to peaceful protests and called on the military to refrain from shooting before using tear gas or water to push demonstrators back.
Dar Al-Ifta’a also released a statement reminding people of the sanctity of Egyptian blood, calling upon officials to stop the bloodshed and to reunite people once again.
The Strong Egypt Party reiterated EOHR’s calls for peaceful communication, calling upon the Brotherhood to stop rallying people and to keep events peaceful.
The party also condemned the excessive use of weapons, which has caused a many fatalities in past and current protests.
Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, head of the party, said earlier that bloodshed is the responsibility of interim president Adly Mansour, adding that if he does not take responsibility he should resign.
Islamist Al-Wasat Party said in a statement that by shooting civilians, the military has defied its norms and “killed military honor.”
The Brotherhood’s political wing the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) described what happened as a “massacre” that has never been witnessed in Egyptian history before, calling on “the wise in the military” to put an end to the violence.
The party announced in the statement that bloodshed will make their beliefs stronger and called on the Egyptian people to “revolt against those who want to steal the revolution with their tanks.”
FJP also called on the civil society and all international organisations to intervene in order to stop any “more massacres and to drop the cover for the military rule in order not to create a new Syria in the Arab world.”
The Tamarod campaign called on all Brotherhood youth to denounce the ideologies of the Brotherhood leaders who call for “the burning of the country or foreign intervention.”
The campaign stressed that ever since they started collecting signatures to their petitions to withdraw trust from the ousted president Mohamed Morsi, they have been calling for peaceful demonstrations.
On the international level, Hamas officials condemned the violence and demanded an end to bloodshed, as reported by Al-Ahram.
British Foreign Minister Secretary William Hague called for “a swift return to democratic processes in Egypt,” adding that it is important for all political parties in Egypt to unite for a better economic and political future.
Hague called for free elections, where all parties can get a fair chance to participate in.
He also called for the release of all political leaders and journalists and for a prompt agreement on a constitution to assure “the checks and balances of a democratic system.”
“As a friend, the UK stands ready to continue to support the people in their desire for a better Egypt,” the foreign minister said.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry described the attacks as a violation of freedom of expression and of assembly, calling on the international community to support the Egyptian people in their “fight for democracy.”
In Tunis, Islamist Ennahdha Party issued a statement describing the event as “a heinous crime committed by the security services against unarmed civilians.”
The party called on all Egyptian to reject what they called a “coup” and to engage in a dialogue to prevent further bloodshed.
The report denounced Morsi’s failure to act against police torture. (AFP File Photo)
By Mahitab Assran
Following former president Mohamed Morsi’s ouster from power, the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR) has called for a change in both legislation and the general attitude in the security apparatus toward torture.
Hafez Abou-Seada, the head of EOHR, said that he is calling for adjustments to Articles 126, 129 and 280 in the 2012 constitution regarding the prohibition of torture and their punishments in the new constitution to be written during the transitional period. According to the constitution, the articles state that those [from the police force] who are found guilty of committing torture are to be sentenced to a minimum of one year in prison or an EGP 200 fine.
Abou-Seada also said that EOHR is asking Egypt to sign the UN’s convention against torture and abide by its rules in addition to investigating previous torture incidents and punishing those responsible. Abou-Seada also stressed the importance of allowing Egyptians to contact the UN and report torture, and for the UN and other international organisations to be permitted to come to Egypt to investigate and witness “what really happens.”
On 26 June, the EOHR published a report called Torture and Killings Under the Second Republic. The report argued that the police and security forces have not changed the way they deal with Egyptian citizens “contrary to popular belief,” stating that “the policing practices are still the same, [and they still] depend on torturing the accused to obtain confessions, or even for revenge.”
The report also denounced Morsi’s failure to act against police torture.
The report issued statistics regarding incidence of torture and killings in recent years. From 2000 to 2011 there were a total of 1051 cases of torture, 694 of which occurred in 2011 alone. In addition, 165 cases of torture and 17 deaths were recorded in 2012 under the presidency of Morsi.
The report notes that torture is already illegal under both Egyptian law and the international treaties signed by the country, such as the Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture.
The sentencing of NGO workers to prison in Cairo on charges of receiving foreign funding has attracted widespread international condemnation.
The Cairo Criminal court on Tuesday issued convictions to all 43 non-governmental organisation (NGO) workers involved in a case over foreign funding.
Of the defendants, 27 foreigners were sentenced to five years prison in absentia. Five foreigners were sentenced to two years, including an American who is still in Egypt. Eleven Egyptians received a one-year suspended sentence and an EGP 1000 fine.
The court also ordered the closure of five foreign NGOs and the seizure of their assets.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he was “outraged about the harsh verdict against the NGO employees and the closure of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.”
Westerwelle described the verdict as a “worrying decision that weakens the role of civil society as an important banner of democracy in the new democratic Egypt.”
The former head of the foundation’s Cairo office was sentenced to five years, and another staff member was sentenced to two years.
Freedom House also condemned the verdict, describing the trial as a “government-led witch-hunt intended to strangle civil society activity and limit free expression in post-revolutionary Egypt”.
Freedom House President David Kramer said: “This whole case was a disgrace from the very beginning, and the verdict makes a mockery of the Egyptian judicial process.”
Six current employees and one former employee of Freedom House were convicted. “The closure of our office is the least of my concerns right now,” Kramer said.
Nancy Okail, director of Egypt programmes at Freedom House and one of the convicted defendants, said: “President [Mohamed] Morsi’s government has continued [former president Hosni] Mubarak’s tactics of using threats, intimidation, and the arbitrary exercise of government power to suppress free expression and association in Egypt.”
Okail added: “How can the international community believe [Morsi] is committed to democracy when he has shut down groups and jailed staff who were helping Egyptians participate in shaping their country’s future?”
The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), another of the NGOs closed by verdict, said in a statement: “None of our employees has done anything wrong, and our work has never been political.”
The statement added: “We were simply upgrading the skills and standards of Egyptian professional and citizen journalists. We will fight this decision until justice is served.”
Robert Becker, the American defendant who remained in Egypt, said in a blog post on Monday: “If evidence matters in an Egyptian court, tomorrow’s verdict will be not guilty.”
Becker added that the case was political from the start and he did not rule out a guilty verdict.
The convictions hinged on the fact the NGOs were unlicenced, making their offices in Egypt illegal, said Gamal Eid, human rights lawyer and founder of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information.
However, Dalia Zeyad, researcher at the Ibn Khaldoun Center, said the convictions were not “built on sensible evidence.”
Instead, Hafez Abou Se’da, head of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, said the verdict was intended to “destroy the role of NGOs in Egypt, especially since [they were a key mechanism] in the detection of human rights violations in the Mubarak-era.”
Human rights lawyer Mohamed Zare’ noted that as suspended sentences, the convictions would be wiped after three years if they receive no further convictions in the interim.
This verdict came after President Morsi presented a draft of the new NGO law to the Shura Council for discussion.
A number of human rights lawyers and organisations have criticised the law, saying it would further restrict and harm civil society.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay submitted comments and proposals concerning the draft law.
On 31 May, 40 human rights organisations issued a joint statement asserting that the Muslim Brotherhood and its political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, are working to impose greater restrictions on freedom of association.
Morsi, for his part, recently launched a conference for developmental and charity foundations, in which he assured that the state would place its “full trust” in NGOs and would not put pressure on their activities.
President Mohamed Morsi met with the head of the General Union for Civil Society Associations and Institutions, Hatem Khater, on Saturday. (Photo Presidency Handout)
President Mohamed Morsi met with the head of the General Union for Civil Society Associations and Institutions, Hatem Khater, on Saturday. The meeting took place at the presidential palace and was attended by board members of the union.
According to a statement released by the presidency, the union “expressed its gratitude for holding the first meeting of its kind in the union’s history which bore many significant signs reflecting President Morsi’s acknowledgement of the [NGOs’] role in society.”
Morsi and the union members present spoke on several issues, including the demands by civil society organisations with regards to the establishment of a partnership between NGOs and the executive authority. This cooperation is “not only through application of the law but also through lawmaking and monitoring of the execution and contributing to the development of various sectors”, the statement said.
“The union further pointed to a few bureaucratic obstacles facing their work and the need for an appropriate legislative environment.” The presidency pledged financial support to civil society organisations to be allocated from the state’s budget after the union said it hopes to obtain roughly EGP 10 million-worth of support from the state budget.
Morsi reaffirmed in his meeting the significance of civil society and its role as “one of the major pillars of the development triangle”, telling the attendees he is eager to provide all the support he can in ensuring their freedom to perform their roles.
The president continued by saying there is a need to enhance communications between such organisations and state apparatuses, as well as a need to integrate them in order to “guide society towards production and development”.
The draft law regulating civil society organisations in Egypt is currently undergoing legal revision by the presidency’s Consultative Committee for Constitutional and Legal Affairs.
This revision, the statement said, is to be “the foundation of a new phase of freedom in civil society work through which civil societies can take on their roles in developing the nation. In this context, the president also reaffirmed his keenness to refer the bill to the union for discussion.”
Morsi told the union they are expected to care for the poor “as a means for achieving social justice in addition to raising the level of general awareness, knowledge, and socialisation on the nature of the role of civil society” in the coming period. He also said there is a need to integrate unions and NGOs and to expand benefits of services. He continued by adding that the union must play a part in “communicating with its regional and international surroundings for the purpose of introducing activities of civil association in Egypt and correcting misconceptions about them abroad”.
The meeting came at a time when the draft NGO law has attracted a lot of criticismfrom civil society groups and the international community. Earlier in May the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay urged the government to take steps to ensure the current version of the draft law is made available for careful examination by both Egyptian and international human rights experts. Pillay also urged the recommendations made by these experts be taken seriously and used to ensure the law complies with international standards before the Shura Council adopts it.
The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights also expressed worry over the draft law, as did Amnesty International, Freedom House and several other organisations. Some of the primary concerns include restricting the activities of foreign NGOs in Egypt and severe limitations on the ability of NGOs to conduct fact-finding visits and other such activities, according to Amnesty.
An Egyptian army vehicle keeps its position close to the Rafah border crossing (AFP File Photo)
The EOHR issued a statement on Thursday calling for the arrest of the kidnappers of four army officers and three police officers in Sinai. In the statement EOHR said the officers were kidnapped off duty, and are being held for ransom and are used as bartering chips to secure the release of the kidnappers’ relatives from jail.
EOHR called the abduction an act of terrorism, which requires “quick and immediate intervention” to prevent Sinai from becoming a hotbed for terrorism.
“Such terrorist crimes represent a gross violation to life, liberty, personal security and freedom of movement, guaranteed by international conventions on human rights,” EOHR said, calling on the government to comb through the peninsula and to close all borders until the men are found.
The statement continued by saying the repeated attacks on the Al-Arish police station, as well as the attack on the border last year that left several soldiers dead, “prove there is a complete lack of security in Sinai”. In order for the state to preserve national security, the statement said, it must exert unremitting efforts and hold a steadfast position in the face of the spread of terrorism.
Head of EOHR Hafez Abu Saada called the Sinai Peninsula an area of great importance both politically and in terms of security. He added that the kidnapping is evidence of the collapse of Egypt’s security and called on the authorities to find and punish those responsible.
Meanwhile, soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula border town of Rafah closed the crossing into the Gaza Strip on Friday, the state-run Al-Ahram reported. The closure was in protest to the kidnapping of officers on Thursday.
The soldiers have said the border will remain closed until the soldiers are released. According to AFP the three police officers served in the Rafah border terminal.
The protest comes a day after President Mohamed Morsi held talks with the defence and the interior ministers regarding the abductions and announced efforts being taken to negotiate the release of the security personnel.
State media has said that security officials were in talks with the abductors via mediators, local Bedouin leaders who hold sway in Sinai, AFP reported.
Security in Sinai has deteriorated since former President Hosni Mubarak was removed from power. Over the past year there have been several rocket attacks on Israel believed to have originated in Sinai, as well as kidnappings of tourists in exchange for the release of jailed relatives.
The Shura Council’s National Security Committee called for reforming the Homeland Security sector of the Ministry of Interior in a meeting with the national security body on Monday, accusing them of torturing and mistreating citizens, and withholding information regarding the presence of Al-Qaeda in Egypt. (DNE/ File Photo)
The Shura Council’s National Security Committee called for reforming the Homeland Security sector of the Ministry of Interior in a meeting with the national security body on Monday, accusing them of torturing and mistreating citizens, and withholding information regarding the presence of Al-Qaeda in Egypt.
Essam Al-Badawy, representative of Homeland Security, denied both claims, saying that the sector is hard at work reforming its image from an entity whose past behaviours used to go against the present constitution and laws.
“Whoever delights in torture is mentally ill,” said Al-Badawy. “There is no enmity between us and anyone else and we work only within the bounds of the law.”
He heralded the Homeland Security’s management of the recent demonstrations by Salafi groups in front of their headquarters as an example of the sort of restraint to which the sector now aspires.
The Shura Council was not impressed by Al-Badawy’s defence, claiming that many of the sector’s old members who were known for engaging in torture are still present today. They called for the rebuilding of trust between the people and Homeland Security and the establishment of legislation to keep them in check.
The Shura Council is not the first to accuse the Interior Ministry of torture and human rights violations. Last week, The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR) submitted two cases of alleged torture by police to the prosecutor general for investigation.
“There is a continuation of the same practices and method adopted by the Ministry of Interior before the 25 January Revolution,” EOHR said in their statement to Tala’at Abdallah.
In February, a group of 13 human rights organisations released a statement calling for the reform of the ministry, in which they accused the Interior Ministry of human rights violations against citizens detained in demonstrations and outlined a 10-step initiative to “stop the crimes of the regime”.
Among their demands was the publishing of a final report on police and military abuses against protesters from January 2011 to June 2012. A fact-finding committee commissioned by President Mohamed Morsi submitted the report in question to the presidency last December but he has yet to publish it, drawing criticism from a number of human rights organisations, namely Human Rights Watch.
Additional reporting by Joel Gulhane and Basil El-Dabh.
The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR) has called on the prosecutor general and the minister of interior to investigate an incident of torture that occurred in a Port Said prison.
In a statement published on Tuesday, EOHR said it had received a complaint regarding the treatment of Mohamed Darwish Khudair, who was arrested in Port Said in 2011 on charges of attempted kidnapping and resisting arrest. EOHR says Khudair was subjected to “severe physical and verbal torture”.
The human rights group reported that Khudair accused one of the prison officers of causing him injury and this officer was referred to a criminal court. During this time another prison officer subjected Khudair to “the worst forms of torture”, said EOHR. Khudair sustained fractured ribs, his health deteriorated and he was not allowed visitors. He also was deprived of food and medical treatment, according to EOHR.
The group reported that Khudair’s family received a phone call from another inmate’s family who informed them that Khudair had been moved to a prison in Tanta.
Hafez Abu Seada, head of EOHR, said: “These are two cases of torture. The first was during [Khudair’s] arrest and initial detention. The second was as a punishment for speaking out against the first police officer.”Abu Seada said that there has been no official confirmation that Khudair has been moved from Port Said to Tanta.
Abu Seada reported that EOHR is waiting for a reply from the Ministry of Interior to allow for somebody to visit Khudair in prison to check on his condition. EOHR has called for an investigation and that “the involved police officers must be banned from [their duties] until the end of the investigations and trial”.
EOHR stressed that this case displays a violation against the International Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which Egypt is a signatory.
Abu Seada stressed that the fight against torture was one of the main causes for the revolution. “Torture is a continuing systematic practice in police stations and prisons,” he said. “There has been no change, if this regime continues with the same attitude the problem will remain.”
The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR) denounced on Tuesday “the torture and ill treatment” of several students from Al-AzharUniversity’s Faculty of Medicine in Assiut. According to the statement an altercation occurred between students, including Ahmed Raga Ahmed Hassan, and local shopkeepers, after which police arrived to investigate.
The police asked the parties involved to go to the police station to give their testimonies, at which point another police officer began hurling insults at the students. EOHR said that once the students arrived at the police station they were beaten by officers.
EOHR stressed the need for the Prosecutor General and the Ministry of Interior to open an investigation into the torture of Ahmed Hassan and his fellow students. EOHR also said the identity of those involved in the torture should be revealed and they should be suspended from work until investigations bring them to trial.
The torture of Ahmed Hassan also violates several international agreements on human rights, EOHR said.
“The behaviour of the officers in question is unacceptable under any pretext or circumstance,” the head of EOHR Hafez Abu Saada said, adding that torture is inconsistent with the Egyptian constitution.
Abu Saada said the government should take a firm stance against all those responsible for such acts, stressing that such behaviour did not correspond with the achievements of the 25 January, 2011 revolution. He also called on everyone in Egypt to take a firm stand against the practice of torture against citizens and respect the rule of law and human dignity.
EOHR demanded the government ratify the International Convention on Torture, declaring its commitment to Articles 21 and 22 of the Convention. The organisation also demands the establishment of an independent body for the prevention of torture through the use of a presidential decree.
EOHR also demanded the government allow representatives of civil society to visit places of detention in order to monitor authorities and the extent of their respect for the rights of the detainees. EOHR also called on the government to approve an official visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on torture to monitor the government’s respect for international standards.
The organisation also demanded the government begin the immediate restructuring of the Ministry of Interior and create draft laws amending the articles of torture in the Penal Code to conform with international human rights laws.
