Egyptian police brutality soars ahead of uprising anniversary
Date
12/5/2015 6:47:37 PM
(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) A recent spate of prison deaths in Egypt due to alleged police torture has invited a storm of outrage across the troubled Arab country.
“Instead of enforcing law police are violating all laws in Egypt” Mohamed 23 who declined to give last name told Anadolu Agency.
“Since they fear no retribution police officers are continuing to put the rights of all civilians under their feet” he said.
Last week at least four civilians lost their lives while in police custody in which the local media attributed to torture by police officers.
A driver died in the Upper Egyptian city of Luxor shortly after being detained by police for alleged possession of tramadol a pain killer used as a recreational drug in Egypt. His death has sent hundreds of his relatives into the streets to protest police brutality and demand retribution.
In the canal city of Ismailia a veterinarian was assaulted by a police officer inside his privately-owned pharmacy and was taken to a police station where he was allegedly beaten to death.
An Egyptian youth also died inside a police station near Cairo with local media publishing images of signs of torture on his body. Another detainee held on charges of arms possession lost his life while in police custody in Cairo.
A police officer was also sent to court on charges of faking up drugs and assault charges against a bus driver in Cairo following an argument.
‘Individual acts’
The Interior Ministry for its part insists that the alleged abuses by police officers were “individual acts”.
Speaking to journalists earlier this week Interior Minister Magdi Abdel-Ghaffar said that his ministry does not tolerate any violations committed by police officers.
President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi also tried to calm public anger over the reported torture saying that all state institutions were subject to law.
Speaking during a visit to the police academy on Thursday Sisi called for foiling what he described as attempts to “sow the seeds of sedition between the people and security agencies.”
Egyptian security forces launched a massive crackdown on dissent following the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi in a 2013 coup.
According to human rights groups more than 40000 people have been detained on violence charges since Morsi’s ouster.
Though the Egyptian constitution prohibits torture in all its forms and considers it a crime there have been widespread reports of torture and abuses at prisons.
"In light of enforced disappearances tortures repressive laws and unjust verdicts do we seek to understand the concept of ‘State of law’ that begins and ends at human dignity and freedom? That’s absurd" prominent Egyptian opponent Mohamed ElBaradei wrote on Twitter this week.
Tip of iceberg
Human rights activist Ezzat Ghoneim said that the recent deaths were the “tip of the iceberg” in Egypt.
“The situation is moving from bad to worse” Ghoneim an activist with the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) told Anadolu Agency.
He said his NGO has documented 623 deaths inside prisons and police stations since Morsi’s overthrow.
“Police stations and prisons have turned into slaughter houses” Ghoneim said.
He argued that the Interior Ministry – which controls Egypt’s sprawling security apparatus – “was seeking to terrorize the citizens to prevent them from opposing government policies.”
In 2011 police brutality was the driving force for mass street protests that eventually led to the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak.
“Police brutality has driven thousands of Egyptians to take part in the revolution against Mubarak” Hasan A. said. “The situation is now quite similar.”
Ghoneim however played down speculations that the recent prison deaths could lead to 2011-like street protests against the Egyptian regime.
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