The use of force and violence by police and security forces that resulted in deaths and severe injuries against demonstrators came after several statements by Egyptian rulers. On Friday 26 July, Egyptian Minister of Defense, General Abdel Fattah Al Sisi called upon Egyptians to protest in order to “grant him an order to confront potential violence and terrorism”. During the night of 26 July, the Minister of Interior, General Mohammed Ibrahim announced that the ministry would clear “soon” and in a “legal way” the two main hot spots where pro-Morsy demonstrators were holding sit-ins since 30 June in Cairo, the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque and Nahda Square in Giza.
The ministry of Interior reported that pro-Morsy demonstrators fired live ammunition, birdshot pellets, and threw stones on security forces.
FIDH, in accordance with its Egyptian member organisations, expresses its utmost concerns about unlawful and excessive use of violence by security forces. FIDH calls for an immediate, independent and impartial investigation into all the human rights violations committed by all parties. All those responsible for such violations must be held accountable.
“The Egyptian interim authorities have the duty and the responsibility to immediately end this state of violence in the country. They should not further compromise the rule of law and must fully comply with international human rights standards in the process” said Karim Lahidji, FIDH President.
FIDH urges the Egyptian authorities to respect the right to peaceful protest and strictly comply with other international human rights standards. In the case of use of violence and firearms by protesters, the authorities have to fully uphold the United Nations basic principles on the “Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials” which strictly limit the intentional lethal force to cases when it is strictly necessary to protect life.