Amnesty International Demands Egypt Violence Inquiry

8/10/2019 Amnesty International Demands Egypt Violence Inquiry

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Amnesty International Demands EgyptViolence Inquiry

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Supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi protest in Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt, July 9,2013.

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US Criticized by All Sides in Egypt Egypt Orders Arrest of Muslim Brotherhood Leaders

TEXT SIZEPeter Clottey

Last updated on: July 10, 2013 5:07 PM
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An Amnesty International official says respect for human rights can be a critical element inaddressing Egypts political crisis.

Geoffrey Mock, the Egypt country specialist for Amnesty International, says a first step is tohold the countrys security agencies accountable for their actio ns.

We have to restore trust, said Mock. The country is very polarized now and the way to moveforward is through an independent and public and impartial investigation of all these killings,and holding those accountable for any abuses that this invest igation finds.

The rights group has demanded an independent inquiry into the death of more than 50 protestersfollowing the ouster last week of democratically-elected president Mohammed Morsi.

Some analysts contend that the strong public support the military enjoyed over the years has been weakened by its decision to topple Morsi and place him under house arrest after a year inoffice.

Mock says both former presidents Hosni Mubarak and Morsi did not implement measures thatwould hold the security agencies accountable for their actions over the years.

Everyones human rights record was marred by a culture of impunity in, which police andsecurity officials could do human rights abuses without being held accounta ble, said Mock.

He says Egypts interim leadership also needs to build trust among the people as part of an effortto resolve the crisis.

The way forward includes using a single standard [for] everyone and holding peopleaccountable when they violate b oth Egyptian law and international human rights laws, Mocksaid. By holding a single standard, this is where you build trust [among] people who arealienated from the political process, and tell people it is worth for them to be involved in it.

Morsi supporters and members from the Muslim Brotherhood have been protesting his ousterand have rejected plans for new elections. They vowed to continue their demonstrations todemand the former presidents release and his restoration as head of state.

Its clear that without that trust that the human rights would be respected, that they would notrejoin the political process, said Mock. But they have to understand that when they were in

power, their record itself was marred by human rights abuses, and if they are going to wantaccountability for the 51 people that were killed at the protest the other day, they need to ensurethat their side is also held accountable.


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12 July 2013

Zimbabwe: Alarming clampdown on basic freedoms ahead of elections

The security services were often involved in the violence leading up to Zimbabwe's 2008elections

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The clampdown on the work of human rights defenders is a worrying indicator that governmentagencies remain actively hostile to civil society.

Noel Kututwa, Amnesty International's Deputy Programme Director for Africa.

Fri, 12/07/2013

Zimbabwean police are continuing to target and intimidate human rights defenders ahead ofelections later this month according to a new report by Amnesty International.

Walk the Talk details how the police have conducted systematic raids on offices, arbitrarilyarrested human rights defenders and seized equipment to intimidate and disrupt the work oforganizations carrying out election related human rights work.

The clampdown on the work of human rights defenders is a worrying indicator that government
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agencies remain actively hostile to civil society, said Noel Kututwa, Amnesty InternationalsAfrica Deputy Programme Director.

Zimbabwes security forces must respect and protect fundamental freedoms as the country prepares for a high stakes election at the end of July.

At the end of 2012, amid speculation that Zimbabwe would hold elections as early as March2013, Amnesty International documented increased targeting of human rights defenders and civilsociety organizations.

Since November 2012, at least five police raids of NGO offices have been conducted and dozensof human rights defenders unlawfully detained. Many are appearing in the courts on trumped-upcharges that are widely considered to be politically motivated.

Though the prosecution of human rights defenders doesnt n ecessarily result in convictions, theyeffectively paralyze the organizations through regular court appearances of the leaders; draining

finances through high legal fees; and generating fear of long term imprisonment.Amnesty International also documented clear partisan support by high ranking members of thecountrys security services, who have openly pledged their allegiance to President RobertMugabes ZANU -PF party.

Such conduct is unacceptable and explicitly prohibited under Zimbabwes new constitution,said Kututwa. Given Zimbabwes history of state -sponsored violence it is guaranteed togenerate fear among the population, particularly among communities that experienced seriousviolations in the 2008 election.

In the run-up to the June 2008 second round of the presidential election at least 200 people werekilled, while thousands were tortured and beaten in a wave of political violence that engulfed thecountry, often with the acquiescence or active involvement of, the police, army and intelligenceservices.

In order to resolve the political crisis that followed the election violence, the Southern AfricaDevelopment Community (SADC) stepped in and later that year the Global Political Agreement(GPA) was signed.

Amnesty International calls on the SADC and the African Union as co-guarantors of the GPA totake all measures necessary to ensure non-repetition of state-sponsored violence during the 31July harmonized elections.

This includes sending election observers to meticulously document human rights violations, in particular those committed by government agencies, and by making a clear public statement thathuman rights violations will not be tolerated.

The stakes are high in this election and the run up to it cannot simply be treated as business asusual, either by stakeholders in Zimbabwe or by the international community, said Kututwa.


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Having just signed a new constitution into force in May, the Zimbabwe government must walkthe talk and honour the commitments enshrined in it and protect the fundamental freedoms of itscitizens.

12 July 2013

Bradley Manning: US must drop aiding the enemy charge

Manning faces charges in relation to obtaining and distributing classified documents tounauthorized parties

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Weve now seen the evidence presented by both sides, and its abundantly clear that the charge of

aiding the enemy has no basis. The government should withdraw that charge.


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procedures. But one special agent testifying for the prosecution told the court that at least one ofthe programmes Manning was accused of illegally adding to his computer was in fact used byeveryone in Mannings intelligence cell. Other software used by Manning was not expressly

prohibited by commanders, the court heard.

11 July 2013

Kazakhstan: No accountability for entrenched torture

Security forces injured and killed people when dispersing demonstrations in Zhanaozen in 2011

Anatoly Ustinenko/AFP/Getty Images

Security forces in Kazakhstan injured and killed people when dispersing demonstrations in Zhanaozen,they tortured the detained and put them in prisons where conditions amount to ill-treatment while the


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authorities endorsed impunity by failing to investigate such violations in blatant disregard of theirobligations.

said Nicola Duckworth, Senior Director of Research at Amnesty International

Thu, 11/07/2013

Amnesty International has accused the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbaev, of pullingthe wool over the eyes of the international community in his governments promise to eradicatetorture and fully investigate the lethal force by police.

In a report published today, Amnesty International exposes how the security forces act withimpunity and how torture in detention centres is rife.

The report, Old habit s: T he r outi ne use of tor tur e and other i ll -tr eatment i n K azakhstan , details how at least 15 people were killed and more than 100 seriously injured when securityforces used excessive and lethal force to disperse the crowds in protests in Zhanaozen inDecember 2011. Scores of people were rounded up by security forces and tortured inovercrowded underground police cells.

Amnesty International is calling on the President to authorize and facilitate an independentinternational investigation into the use of lethal force by security forces in Zhanaozen inDecember 2011, as recommended by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, NaviPillay.

Security forces in Kazakhstan injured and killed people when dispersing demonstrations inZhanaozen, they tortured the detained and put them in prisons where conditions amount to ill-treatment while the authorities endorsed impunity by failing to investigate such violations in

blatant disregard of their obligations, said Nicola Duckworth, Senior Director of Research atAmnesty International.

Despite the authorities continued assertions that they have conducted thorough and impart ialinvestigations, 17 months on from the violence in Zhanaozen justice has not been delivered forthe use of excessive and lethal force, for the arbitrary detention, and the torture and other ill-treatment resulting in unfair trials for scores of people, said Nicola Duckworth.

As a result of a criminal investigation in 2012 only five senior security officers were chargedwith and sentenced to prison for the abuse of office in relation to the use of force in Zhanaozen.However, no charges were brought against many other security officers some who publiclyadmitted that they had shot at protesters.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the detainees were kept incommunicado in overcrowded cells, thatthey had been stripped naked, beaten, kicked and doused with cold water. At least one man diedas a result of the torture. However, the monitoring by those who were allowed access could not

be conducted in an independent and thorough manner.
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During her trial in 2012, Roza Tuletaeva, a labour activist who was charged with being one ofthe organizers of the December 2011 violence, stated that security officers suspended her by herhair, put a plastic bag over her head to suffocate her and subjected her to sexual humiliation.Security officers threatened to harm her 14-year-old daughter. She was sentenced to five years in

prison for inciting social discord.

The authorities continue to dismiss allegations of torture as unfounded, including those madeunder oath in court by individuals detained in the aftermath of the Zhanaozen violence.

In a travesty of justice, the same team of prosecutors who had investigated the violence andordered the detentions were appointed to investigate the allegations of torture.

Bazarbai Kenzhebaev died on 21 December 2011 two days after he was released from policecustody. He told his family and a journalist from Russia he had been tortured in the Zhanaozenmain police station after being detained following the violence on 16 December. The then acting

head of the police detention center, Zhenishbek Temirov, was the only person charged andsentenced in this case. No real attempt to identify and bring to justice other security officers whohave tortured Bazarbai Kenzhebaev was made.

Not only torture and other ill -treatment is entrenched, going beyond physical assaults bysecurity officers. As well, prison conditions are cruel, inhumane and degrading: inmates are keptin degrading conditions and punished with prolonged periods of solitary confinement in violationof international standards, said Nicola Duckworth.

Aron Atabek, a 60-year-old dissident writer and poet was detained in 2006 and convicted oncharges of taking part in mass disorder and for killing a police officer. He has spent two and ahalf years in solitary confinement so far, in very harsh, unhealthy conditions. In November 2012,he was sentenced to another two years solitary confinement in a high security prison in Arqalyk1,650km away from his home town.

In 2010 the Kazakhstani authorities declared to the UN that they wou ld not rest until all vestigesof torture had been fully and totally eliminated.

In a regressive move in 2011, President Nursultan Nazarbaev transferred control of the entire prison system from the Ministry of Justice back to the Ministry of Internal Affairs against whichmost of the allegations of torture were received.

It is clear that the governments assertions of its commitment to eradicate torture are forinternational consumption only, that they are an attempt to pull wool over the eyes of the publicat home and abroad, while torture and other ill- treatment continue unabated and unchecked,said Nicola Duckworth.

The promises of the government of President Nazarbaev to the UN will ring hollow until heallows for a fully independent international investigation to accomplish what the Kazakhastani


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authorities failed to do for more than a year. Without such an investigation the security forceswill continue to act with impunity.

10 July 2013

Egypt: Damning evidence points to security forces failures

At least 88 people have lost their lives in protests and political violence in Egypt.

Ed Giles/Getty Images

Despite claims by the military that protesters attacked first during clashes on Monday and that nowomen and children were injured, first hand accounts collected by Amnesty International paint a verydifferent picture. Even if some protesters used violence, the response was disproportionate and led tothe loss of life and injury among peaceful protesters.


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Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director at Amnesty International

Evidence gathered by Amnesty International suggests that the security forces have used

excessive force against supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi. Since last Friday atleast 88 people have lost their lives in protests and political violence, including three members ofthe security forces, with around 1,500 wounded.

At least 51 Morsi supporters were killed on monday during clashes outside the Republican guardheadquarters.

Despite claims by the military that protesters attacked first during clashes on Monday and thatno women and children were injured, first hand accounts collected by Amnesty International

paint a very different picture. Even if some protesters used violence, the response wasdisproportionate and led to the loss of life and injury among peaceful protesters, said Hassiba

Hadj Sahraoui, Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director at Amnesty International.The army and Interior Ministry said yesterday that the violence followed an attack by protestersaround the Republican Guard Club, and announced that a military officer and two members ofthe security forces were killed.

However, accounts collected from eyewitnesses contradict this version of events. AmnestyInternational has visited morgues, hospitals and sites of violence in Cairo and Alexandria togather testimonies from injured protesters and relatives of victims. Its findings suggest the use ofdisproportionate force by the security forces, including intentional lethal force. Many of thosekilled and injured had been shot in the head and upper body with shotgun pellets and live

ammunition.The Egyptian authorities must end the military and polices use of grossly disproportionateforce. Even when individual protesters use violence, the army must respond proportionately,without killing and injuring those not endangering the lives of the security forces or others. Theymust ensure an investigation which all sides see as independent and impartial is promptlyconducted to ensure any alleged army abuses are not covered up.

The Egyptian authorities must also ensure that proper autopsy and medical reports are issued tofacilitate thorough investigations and ensure access to justice and reparations.

Amnesty In ternationals fears of further bloodshed are heightened by statements by MuslimBrotherhood leaders vowing to continue protesting until the former President is reinstated,calling on their supporters to rise up and resist, despite the ongoing deaths an d injuries.

As politicians squabble over who started the violence, its clear that unless the security forcesare reined- in and clear orders given on the use of force were looking at a recipe for disaster.
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A woman in her forties who was wounded on Monday said the violence began at as she finished prayers beside a tent housing women and children.

I saw men running towards us, then the teargas started falling. I did not know what to do orwhere to take the children. I couldnt go back to the tents becaus e we would suffocate, and I

didnt know where to run because of the shootingThere were shots and teargas coming fromall directionsThere were men lying on the ground in pools of blood in front of me, I just stayedthere under the tree prayingI thought that was it, she said. Eventually, she managed to escapedown a side street.

Amnesty International interviewed several other women who had shotgun pellet wounds in theupper body including the back, and a child at a Cairo hospital with wounds in his head, face andlegs.

The deaths yesterday followed shootings on 5 July, when security forces shot dead four peopleduring protests in front of the Republican Guard.

The organization also found that security forces had intervened too late or not at all duringclashes between pro and anti Morsi supporters in Cairo and Alexandria on 5 July leading to aloss of life on both sides.

At least eight people died during clashes between rival camps that lasted around five hours inTahrir Square and the district of al-Manial in Cairo on Friday, with the security forces absentfrom the scene.

In Alexandria on Friday, at least 17 were killed in the Sidi Gaber area. Security forces arrived onthe scene after some people had already been killed. Mohamed Badr al-Din, a local resident, was

stabbed and thrown from a roof by Morsi supporters.A survivor described how he escaped shortly before Mohamed Badr al-Din was thrown from theroof:

I was chased by a big bearded guy with a huge knife and black flag He started beating me,and raised a knife saying God is Great. I escaped from him by jumping down an airshaft, anopening in the middle of the buildings roof, he told Amnesty International.

Local residents said calls for the police to intervene were ignored.

It is the res ponsibility of the security forces to maintain security and protect lives. However,instead of preventing further bloodshed they appear to have contributed to it by using excessiveforce and ignoring the peoples pleas for help, Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said. Those whoviolently attack their political opponents should be held to account, whatever their politicalaffiliation.

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Amnesty International Demands Egypt Violence Inquiry