19 May 2011
Cairo — Egypt’s government must reveal the truth about attacks on demonstrators during an uprising against President Hosni Mubarak, compensate the victims and bring their attackers to justice, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
In a long report on state repression during the protests, Amnesty said at least 840 people died and over 6,000 were injured, but a commission appointed to probe the violence had not yet named all those killed or described how they died.
The commission found former interior minister Habib al-Adli responsible for the killings of protesters. Adli, hated for the brutality of his police and once seen as untouchable, was jailed for 12 years this month for profiteering and money laundering.
Amnesty said the commission’s remit was too limited and that publication of full details of the deaths was “essential for the families of victims and society at large to deal with the trauma of what had happened”.
Amnesty quoted one witness named Fouad as saying: “As we entered our block we had to lie face down in the courtyard and were beaten … by soldiers. They beat us again with cables and canes and used electric prods.”
People detained during the protests in January and February were tried by military courts, despite being civilians.
The organization called for further investigation into the deaths of at least 189 prisoners during prison unrest.
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