…from beneath the crooked bough, witness 230 years of brutal tyranny by the al Khalifas come to an end
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Egypt: Victims of protest violence deserve justice

by Courtesy

Egypt: Victims of protest violence deserve justice
The report provides damning evidence of excessive use of force
© Demotix / Nour El Refai
19 May 2011

The Egyptian authorities must provide justice to all of the victims of violent repression that took place during mass anti-government protests earlier this year, Amnesty International said in a comprehensive report into abuses that led to at least 840 deaths.

The release of Egypt rises: killings, detentions and torture in the ’25 January Revolution’ comes two days before former Interior Minister Habib El Adly goes on trial on charges arising from the killings of protesters.

The organization said that while the Egyptian authorities have begun holding accountable some of those accused of responsibility for serious human rights violations, many victims of security forces’ brutality are at risk of being excluded from efforts to deal with the legacy of the violence.

“The trial of the senior figures suspected of being responsible for the outrageous use of excessive force against peaceful protesters is an essential first step,” said Amnesty International. “But the authorities’ response to victims must go much further than this.”

“Families of those who were killed, as well as all those who were seriously injured or subjected to arbitrary detention or torture, including at the hands of the military, should expect that the authorities will prioritize their needs.”

“That means giving them the truth about what happened, providing them with appropriate reparation, and making sure that all those responsible are brought to justice.”

Amnesty International’s report provides damning evidence of excessive force by security forces to try to disperse and suppress protests against former President Hosni Mubarak, showing flagrant disregard for life. Many protesters died as a result of shots to the upper body, including the head or chest, pointing to deliberate targeting of protesters posing no threat, or at the very least to reckless use of firearms.

Over 6,000 people were also injured in protests, some of them permanently. The co-ordinator of the field hospital in Tahrir Square told Amnesty International delegates he dealt with around 300 cases of shotgun wounds to the eyes, leading to loss of vision. …more