MILITARY COUP AND HUMAN RIGHTS … COUP AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS 2 T UY 2013 Prepared by: Gulden Sonmez, Hakan Albayrak, Izzet Sahin, Nevzat Cicek, Umit Sonmez Translated by: Hasan

EGYPT REPORT JULY 2013 1

EGYPTREPORT

JULY 2013

MILITARY COUP ANDHUMAN RIGHTSV I O L A T I O N S

EGYPT REPORT JULY 20132

Prepared by: Gulden Sonmez, Hakan Albayrak, Izzet Sahin, Nevzat Cicek, Umit Sonmez

Translated by: Hasan KarabakkalEdited by: IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation

Department of Research and PublicationsGraphic Design: Nuhungemisi

Contact: IHH Humanitarian Relief FoundationBuyuk Karaman Cad. Taylasan Sok. No: 3 Pk. 34230 Fatih/Istanbul - Turkey

Tel: +90 212 631 21 21 | Fax: +90 212 621 70 51www.ihh.org.tr | [email protected]


TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTIONBACKGROUNDHUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS THE OVERTHROWN AND THE REVOCATION OF DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRESIDENT MORSI & HIS TEAM ANTI MILITARY COUP-MUSLIM BROTHERS, OTHER GROUP LEADERS AND REPRESENTATIVES ARRESTED AND/OR WITH AN ARREST WARRANT ARREST OF LAWYER ABDEL MONEIM ABDEL MAKSUD LOSSES - REVOCATION MASSACRES THE MASSACRE IN FRONT OF THE REPUBLICAN GUARD MASSACRES AT GIZA CAIRO UNIVERSITY AND MUQATTAM TORTURE AND MALTREATMENT VIOLATION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND THE PRESS, AND CURRENT STATUS BALTAGEYAAPPLICATION OF IHH BOARD FOR PROSECUTORGENERAL OF CAIRO CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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This report is intended to identify and evaluate the developments in Egypt in

terms of human rights and humanitarian situation after the military coup on

July 3, 2013. From the 10th to 14th of June, 2013; a delegation of IHH consisting

of Lawyer Gulden Sonmez from IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH

Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights and the Law), Hakan Albayrak

(Writer and a member of the Board of Trustees IHH), Izzet Sahin (Executive

Board Member of IHH, International Relations and Diplomacy Coordinator),

Umit Sonmez (IHH Communications Coordinator) and Journalist Nevzat Cicek

visited Egypt and conducted observations and interviews. The delegation made

investigations and conclusions about the massacre and other acts of violence,

especially in front of the headquarters of the Republican Guard. The delegation

carried out interviews at Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyya Square with representatives of the

Muslim Brotherhood and other leaders; youth, women, artisans, and so on.

Besides, they also held detailed meetings with lawyers, human rights institutions

and met with members of the media. However, the names of the interviewed

persons, witnesses and institution officials will not be shared in this report

due to the insecure conditions such as loss, torture, ill-treatment and unlawful

detentions implemented by the military regime.

In addition, IHH delegation also visited the attorney general’s office appointed

by military regime and asked for information about detention, arrest, loss, killing

and wounding against President Mohammed Morsi, all the anti-coup Egyptian

leaders including the Muslim Brothers and the civilian population, as well as

declared their meeting request with three leaders held by military regime to the

Attorney-General, in a letter of application. A number of videos and pictures

were examined and lists and documents were obtained by the delegation

during the contacts in Egypt. Thus, this report is presented to the international

community and the public basing on all the information and documents.

INTRODUCTION



Media efforts, funded by very large sums from

abroad and constantly degrading the image of

Morsi in the eyes of the people, strengthened the

base of the oppositions group further each day.

The opposing forces’ use of violence against

the groups defending the legitimacy of Morsi escalated tension in the

country thoroughly.

BACKGROUNDThe February 2011 revolution, which began on 25 January 2011 in Egypt and ended the Hosni Mubarak regime quickly, was welcomed with joy not only in Egypt, but the entire Islamic world. The elections started a novel process in a country like Egypt leading the Arab world, were highly promising and pointing to a brighter future. In those days, although the regime was not yet a democracy, but under the tutelage of Egyptian army, everyone was sure that it will be a temporary process and Mubarak’s absence would facilitate this process works.

A rapid democratic process launched in the country and a month later constitutional referendum was held on 19 March 2011. The first democratic elections in accordance with the new constitutional process began on 28 November 2011 with high level of participation and without any fraud and irregularity. The process for the 508-seat parliament was carried out in three phases and completed in January 2012. A total of 27 parties participating in the elections competed for 498 civil seats in parliament, for 10 seats in parliament were assigned by the military. The new parliament was

formed as the majority of conservative candidates to reflect the general trends of the Egyptian people. Freedom and Justice Party of Muslim Brotherhood Movement was in the first place under the leadership of Mohammed Morsi with 37.5% of the votes (235 seats), while al-Nour Party was in second place with 27.8% of the votes (127 seats). The out of those two leading parties could not even reach to 40 seats in total.

From the very first sessions of the parliament, which started legislative activities without delay, the boycott by opposition parties began immediately. Despite the everyday efforts of increasing the tension and the boycott of secular groups, people chose their president in the elections of the June 24th, 2012.

The election of Mohammed Morsi was promising a stable legal process in the country. The laws, which reflected the spirit of the revolution, were legislated quickly and the democratic structure was guaranteed. But the intensions could not take place. First of all, the Constitutional Court declared the parliament and her constitution draft as invalid. Then, Morsi gave priority to efforts

to dialogue with the opposition, when the court made the parliament dysfunctional by taking the collusive boycott of secular groups as evidence.

Morsi, as his work capacity constantly blocked by the opposition parties and by the Constitutional Court, issued a circular in November 2012 and expanded the parliament’s authority and, as an elected leader, his power in order to pave the way for himself and the parliament, to make a democratic constitution.

That decision of Morsi moved the opposition groups into the streets, which could not find a hope in the parliament. Upon those developments, the details of the scenarios written in Egypt have come to the surface. Serious concerns for chaos had emerged among the Egyptian, when the violent acts began to emerge at the end of 2012, combining with the hardship in basic consumer goods controlled by the army.

In the early days of Morsi’s power, the military coup of Marshal Mohammed Tantawi was prevented at the last minute and the event was closed without more reflection to press and the public after his forced mandatory retirement. Besides, 500 high-ranking officers, known for proximity to the old regime or prone to attempt military coup, were gradually forced to retire.

Media efforts, funded by very large sums from abroad and constantly degrading the image of Morsi in the eyes of the people, strengthened the base of the oppositions group further each day. The opposing forces’ use of violence against the groups defending

the legitimacy of Morsi escalated tension in the country thoroughly.

Eventually with the arrival of the events on the desired consistency, the army issued an ultimatum to Morsi, instead of those, who stirred up trouble and declared the democratically elected leader as illegitimate. The army wanted Morsi to establish dialogue with the opposition, in the ultimatum. The call for the dialogue, which was previously attempted by Morsi repeatedly and rejected by the dissidents each time, was the final curtain of the game played in Egypt. Although Morsi rejected the ultimatum, the tanks were rolling down in the streets. Danger of Islamic regime, which had been employed by Hosni Mubarak for decades to justify his dictatorship, worked in his absence in Egypt and in the outside world again. The Western orientalist perspective has intervened in the system in Egypt, as soon as understood arrival of the democratic process in Egypt by an Islamic power. The chief of general staff Abdul Fattah al-Sisi made a military coup watched by rest of the world on the 3rd of July, 2013, with Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmed et-Tayyib, Coptic Patriarch Tovadros, Salafi Nour Party representative Abdul-Aziz Mohammad, Mohammed el-Baradei and with military officials along his side.



Following the announcement of the military coup by chief of general staff Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and accompanying delegation on the 3rd of July 2013, President Mohammed Morsi has released a video recording same day in difficult circumstances, perhaps, with the mobile phone, and declared that he did not recognize the military coup and announced that he would keep staying on duty, which he had by elections. After that announcement, Morsi and his team arrested by soldiers and taken to an unknown location. Neither where and in what condition they were held, nor with what they were charged have not been disclosed yet by any position or a competent authority. Two people have been released from Morsi’s team later, but nothing

has come to know yet about himself and his eight people. Since July 3, Mohammed Morsi and his team were not allowed to talk with anyone including their families and their lawyers. The names of the persons, who have been missing with President Mohammed Morsi and detained unlawfully are as follow as far as can be determined:

Ayman AliAhmed Abdel AtyAssaad al-ShikhKhaled al-GazzazEssam el-HaddadMashal Abdul Magid Refa’a al-TahtawiAymen al-Hodhod

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONSTHE OVERTHROWN AND THE REVOCATION OF DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRESIDENT MORSI & HIS TEAM


The Muslim Brothers and the leaders of anti- military coup movements have faced unlawful arrests from the announcement of the military coup and following events, since the 30th of June, 2013. According to

the information known to date, some of the leaders mentioned below have been arrested in known places, but some of them in unknown places:

It was among the obtained information that interrogations of the leaders in this report made in prison, rather than in prosecution office, and they come out of prison in no way.

Names of the Muslim Brotherhood members and other groups, who were accused of violence in front of the headquarters of the Republican Guard, and arrest warrant issued against them on the grounds of these events as follow:

It was also known that during the events in various regions, nearly 2,000 people were detained. It was also indicated that

approximately 250 of them were referred to jails pending trial and a significant part of them released on bail.

ANTI MILITARY COUP-MUSLIM BROTHERS, OTHER GROUP LEADERS ANDREPRESENTATIVES ARRESTED AND/OR WITH AN ARREST WARRANT

Mohammed Khairat Saad al-Shater (The Muslim Brotherhood, The Murshid Ass.)

Mohamed Saad Tawfik al-Katatni (Chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party)

Hazem Salah Abu Ismail (Chairman of the Party of Thought, Salafi leader)

Rashad al-Bayumi (The Muslim Brotherhood, The Murshid Assistant)

Helmi al-Gazzar (One of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood)

Mohammed Mahdi Akef (Previous Murshid Muslim Brotherhood)

Abdul Munaim Abdel Maksud (Lawyer)

Muhammad al-Oumda (Former MP)

Mohammed Badie (Muslim Brotherhood General Murshid – Taken into custody on July the 3rd, 2013 and released on July 5th, 2013. Released due to high level of concern of social oppression, reported.)Muhammad al-Biltaci (Muslim Brotherhood senior executive, Member of Parliament, Member of the Human Rights Council - resigned from the membership of the parliament after the military coup.)Safwat Abdul Gani (Islamic Community of director)Essam al-Arian (Vice President of the Justice and Freedom Party)Assem Abdul Magid (One of the leaders of the Islamic Community)Mahmoud Hussein (Secretary General of the Muslim Brot-herhood)Abdel Rahman Ezz (Youth leader)Safwat Hijazi (Muslim scholar)

Mohammed Badie

Hazem Salah Abu Ismail

Mohammed Mahdi Akef

Helmi al-Gazzar

Mohammed Saad Tawfik al-Katatni

Khairat al-Shater

Mohammed al-Biltaci


Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksud is one of the well-known lawyers of Egypt and a member of the National Council for Human Rights. Besides, he is a member of a Study Commission on torture and discrimination. He went to Tora Prison on July the 4th, 2013 in order to see Freedom and Justice Party leader, Mohamed Saad Tawfik El-Katatni, and Rashad al-Bayumi as their lawyers in their cases and investigation carried out about them. However, he has

been detained by the prison authorities in

Tora Prison, where he was as a professional

lawyer, on the grounds of promoting the

violence around Cairo University.

But Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksud was

arrested next day during the interrogation,

with the attributions of providing arms

for murder, promotion of violent acts

and killing events, and setting up an armed

organization.

No explanation has been made yet by the authorities of the military coup about where and under what conditions President Morsi and his eight-person team has been retained; as well as no response was so far given by them to any request for information. The lawyers’ reaches to President Morsi and his friends, or any effort to do so have not been permitted. Since July the 3rd, 2013 neither from

President Morsi nor his eight-person team could be heard. In addition, there is not even the slightest information about the opponents of military coup arrested in various regions, where they have been held, whether they have been alive and what will be their futures. This situation was reported to human rights organizations and lawyers. A lot of similar cases, which cannot be determined, have been mentioned.

ARREST OF LAWYERABDEL MONEIM ABDEL MAKSUD

LOSSES – REVOCATION

Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksud


The largest massacre was fulfilled in front of the Republican Guard Regiment in Cairo. According to eyewitnesses the event occurred in the early morning on July 8, 2013. A group of civilians who were demonstrating peacefully there were attacked by the special forces of the Police Department during morning prayers. Tear gas was thrown against the praying group, and then they were opened fire with real bullets. There is not a condition justifies the police’s intervention to the group. The soldiers on the other side of the square made intervention to the group upon the attack of the police, so that the demonstrators were compressed on both sides. In the meantime, a unit of the

army’s Special Forces participated in the attack by going out of the Headquarters of Republican Guards with great panzers. More than 100 tear gas grenades were thrown into a period of less than five minutes. Some of the children in the square lost their lives due to gas. Demonstrators responded the police and the soldiers, who attacked them with gas bombs and guns, by throwing stones. During the attack, it was observed that the snipers settled on the wall of the entrance side of the headquarters of the Republican Guard and opened fire on the targets with the intentions of killing. Some people in the group consisting of a large number of women and children had been killed and wounded. Some of

The incidents of violence occurred in many places after the military coup mainly in front of the headquarters of the Republican Guard, on October the 6th Bridge, at Ramses Square and Cairo University; and attacks on civilians who were engaged in a

peaceful demonstration were realized by the security forces. Almost 180 people lost their lives so far in attacks in ten different states at different times. Nearly 2,500 people were injured so far to varying degrees throughout the events.

MASSACRES

THE MASSACRE IN FRONTOF THE REPUBLICAN GUARD


the women and children took refuge in a nearby mosque. Announcements from the megaphone system of the mosque were made in order to ask for ambulance and help; however the mosque was surrounded by the armed forces and the people in the mosque were commenced fire. The siege continued until noon and meantime some had been injured. However, the ambulance was allowed to take the wounded in the mosque after hours. Some of the people taken refuge in the mosque were taken into custody and women and children were released only. Some of the injured have been treated by a voluntarily founded medical team at Rabi’a Square. 51 people were died during the attack and 50 people

lost their lives afterwards due to the injuries. Eight of those who died in the scene were women and five of them were children.

A large number of the victims were shot and killed by snipers. It was reported that at least 650 demonstrators were arrested in the same day, the hands of the demonstrators tied behind during the detention, beaten with a rifle butt, kicked, punched, dragged on the floor, left stuffy and encountered many torture and ill-treatment such as psychological pressure, threats, blackmail and so on. Some of the released ones requested forensic referral. 450 of the demonstrators who were referred to the prosecutor’s office were released on bail pending trial. The rest of them, on the other hand, have been shipped to other prisons like Tora Prison or the other prisons in Cairo as pre-trial detention. Those individuals were neither allowed to see their lawyers nor their relatives during all the processes of arrest and detention. The charges against those people were murder, violence, attacking the security forces and damaging property. Almost all of those who were arrested have been accused of killing two people, one officer and one soldier, who died in the attack launched by the official forces on July 8. Accordingly, a total of 650 people have been accused of all the crimes, and 200 of them of the murder of an officer. It has been reported that those who held in the Republican Guard headquarters were interrogated there, beaten during interrogation and exposed to violence during the interrogation. There is also evidence for this claim. As noted by numerous witnesses, the interrogations were carried out by teams of the National Security Agency interrogators of Mubarak era.

The claims of “a group of terrorists among the demonstrators, opened fire with a shotgun to the Republican Guard Headquarters, tried to enter the headquarters” were made in the official statement about the events occurred in Republican Guard Headquarters. On the other hand, any official explanation has not been made yet about the death of women and children by gunfire from the armed units.

Presidential Guard Command

Cuba Presidential Palace

6th October Bridge

Tahrir Square

Constitutional Court

Headquarterof Muslim Brotherhood

Rabi’a al-’Adawiyya Mosque

Cairo University

CAIRO

EGYPT

Ittihadiya Presidential Palace


Eight people, one of them was children,

were shot and killed in the violence acts

occurred in Muqattam and at the location

of the headquarters of the Muslim

Brotherhood on June 30, 2013. On the

other hand, 18 people lost their lives in the

events took place at Cairo University during

July 2nd to 3rd, 2013.

After both incidents, arrest warrants were released with the orientation of the military coup regime against some Muslim Brotherhood leaders and some of the most prominent figures of the community leaders.

The names of those issued an arrest warrant on those events are determined as follows:

Mohamed Saad Tawfik El-Katatni - Freedom and Justice Party Chairman - From both incidentsRashad al-Bayumi - The Muslim Brotherhood, The Murshid Assistant, From both incidentsMuhammad al-Biltaci - From both incidentsSafwat Hijazi - From both incidentsHelmi al-Gazzar -Freedom and Justice Party - Cairo University eventsMuhammad al-Oumda - Cairo University eventsHazem Salah Abu Ismail - Cairo University eventsAbou el-Ela Madi - Al Vasat Party - Cairo University eventsEssam Sultan - Vice President Al Vasat Party - Cairo University eventsEssam al-Arian - Vice President of the Freedom and Justice Party - Cairo University eventsKhaled Abdallah - Cairo University eventsAssem Abdel Majid - Islamic Community events manager-Cairo UniversityTarek el-Zomor - Islamic Community events manager-Cairo UniversityMuhammad Badie - Muqattam eventsMohammed Khairat Saad el-Shater - Muqattam eventsMohammed Mahdi Akef - Muqattam eventsMahmoud Abu Zaid - Muqattam eventsOsama Abu Bakr - Muqattam eventsAhmed Sousa - Muqattam eventsMahmoud Izzet - Muqattam events

MASSACRES AT GIZA CAIROUNIVERSITY AND MUQATTAM

The allegations of torture and maltreatment have been made, particularly about the persons held in front of the headquarters of the Republican Guard during the events of 8 July 2013; about the detainees in front of the Alexandria Guard headquarters, in front of Al-Buhayrah, in Sheikh Kafr city and in different regions. According to information from human rights organizations and lawyers, there are a lot of records for several cases of torture. Especially, after the examination of a body thrown near Rabi’a al-Adawiyya Square, it has been found out that the person was tortured clearly including giving electricity

to his/her body. People exposed to all those maltreatments indicated that the hands of the demonstrators tied behind during the detention, beaten with a rifle butt, kicked, punched, dragged on the floor, left stuffy and encountered many torture and ill-treatment such as psychological pressure, threats, blackmail and so on. Some of the released ones requested forensic referral. It was noted that the National Security Agency interrogators, also known as making the queries by torturing during the Mubarak regime, were also present in those interrogations and made the queries with torture.

TORTURE AND MALTREATMENT



With the military coup all national visual, auditory, print, and online media outlets; either belong to Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt or in line with President Morsi, were closed. Security forces raided the offices of many of them, and those places have become technically inoperable. Some employees were also detained in the media. They even raided the offices of international media outlets, and the members of the media working there were taken into custody. The most striking example of that can be the raid of Al Jazeera’s office and the custody of their officials. Besides, journalist Fatih Er and cameraman Tufan Guzelgun from ANews (AHaber); journalist Murat Uslu and the cameraman Zafer Karakas from Star TV of Turkish Media outlets were arrested and questioned as well. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Journalist Salah al-Din Hasan from Shaab Masr was killed during the events. A Dutch woman was raped while following the protests in Tahrir Square, the reporter explained. Omar Zoheiry photojournalist of el-Watan was

severely beaten by unidentified persons

near Tahrir Square. In addition, board

member of the Egyptian Journalists’ Union,

Khaled el-Balshy was attacked. Muhammad

Kemal from al-Youm al-Saba newspaper,

Raci el-Atar from Suez News and Kerim

Anwar from al-Badil newspaper were

beaten as well and their equipments

were made useless. The severely beaten

journalists were hospitalized. The media

outlets and members of the media in

Egypt, which showed all aspects of what

was going on and reflected the military

regime’s unlawful practices to the public,

have been working unsafely and under very

difficult circumstances. All those happened

in there are the full indicators of a blackout

implemented all over the Egypt. It is among

the determinations of our delegation that

none of those practices for prohibited/

closed media outlets are based on a valid

justification or court decision.

On the other hand, the basic right of people

to have an access to accurate news and

data has been denied by the publications of

VIOLATION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND THE PRESS, AND CURRENT STATUS

With the military coup all national visual, auditory, print, and online media outlets; either belong to Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt or in line with President Morsi, were closed.


The so-called Arabic “Baltageya” criminal gangs play a very critical role in the events in Egypt. During the Mubarak regime, these gangs were most widely used by Ministry of Internal Affairs against dissidents. It is claimed that mostly unemployed, ex-convict, involved in criminal activities or having aggressive attitude or propensity in this direction “Baltageya” have been directed especially after the military coup by the current police authorities remained

from Mubarak regime. The images of Baltageya’s acting with police and carrying out attacks against Morsi supporters at Tahrir Square or in other regions have been captured. The Baltageya’s commitments of harassment and rape, as well as attacks against the members of foreign media representatives were reported. According to allegations the military regime provokes the Baltageya against the Morsi supporters with money.

state media organ, which has in the hands

of the military coup regime and involves

completely biased, manipulating and

misinforming publications.

The arrest of the leaders of the political

parties mentioned in this report, their

silence and the closure of the web pages

might be mentioned among the main

violation of rights in this area.

The rights of assembly, demonstration

and protest movements are some of

the basic rights. However, peaceful civil

demonstrations have been inhibited and

interfered by armored vehicles and security

forces, especially at the squares of Rabi’a al-Adawiyya, Nahda, Ramses, Alexandria or squares and walking routes in other cities. The Muslim Brotherhood, professional groups, religious leaders, trade unions, youth organizations, scholars, the opponents of military coup and the supporters of Morsi at the squares constantly express their messages to the soldiers by shouting slogans about peace and staying away from violence such as “Do not use violence against your people”, “We will never go out of peaceful aim and methods”, “You need to protect the will of the people”, “Egyptian soldiers are in our heart, they are from us”.

BALTAGEYA


IHH delegation went to Attorney General’s

office in Cairo with a letter on July 13th,

2013 and had a meeting with deputy chief

prosecutor. During the meeting, the aim

of the delegation’s visit to the country was

stated as doing the due diligence in terms

of human rights due to the recent events

in Egypt and the subsequent detentions

and arrests. The delegation composed of

Hakan Albayrak, Izzet Sahin and Lawyer

Gulden Sonmez, indicated their demand

for interviews with Freedom and Justice

Party leader jailed Mohamed Saad Tawfik

El-Katatni, the Murshid Assistant Muslim

Brotherhood, Mohammed Khairat Saad el-

Shater and the former Murshid of Muslim

Brotherhood Mohammed Mahdi Akef,

where they were held. In addition, the IHH

delegation also requested to know where

those people were held under which

circumstances, and wanted to investigate

the allegations of torture and ill treatment

against those detained people.

The delegation was informed by the deputy

chief prosecutor as everything was carried

out according to law in Egypt and there was

no question of torture and ill-treatment.

The 24-hour scope of detention in Egypt

and the international conventions to which

Egypt has been a party were reminded by

the IHH delegation to the deputy chief

prosecutor. Then, it was stated that those

words cannot be confirmed without

APPLICATION OF IHH BOARD FOR PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF CAIRO


meeting the jailed leaders mentioned in

the petition, and the delegation’s written

request/application must be processed

immediately and the process must be

executed urgently. Our delegation’s

application was recorded with the issue

number of 10267. Upon the notification of

the impossibility of answering the petition

same day, the delegation went to the

Attorney General’s office once again the

day after and specified the wish for getting

result of the request, and demanded for

a meeting with the attorney general to

receive a positive result. After about a

four-hour wait, repeated warning and

the negotiations with the prosecutors

of the prisons, the delegation’s request

was rejected by the Attorney General,

Hisham Barakat. The rejection of that

application made both with the titles of

lawyer and delegation was underlined

by the delegation as strengthening the

reality of allegations of torture and ill-

treatment. Before declaring that result, the

attorney general was informed about the

delegation’s waiting for additional period

of two hours. Then the delegation left the

office of General Prosecutor. The rejection

of all the rightful claims of detained people

including the right of access to lawyers

and relatives, their completely unlawfully

held and no information providing about

them strengthen the hypothesis of the

disappearance of the marks of possible

tortures. This condition suffices for

being concerned about the names in our

application or all other people arrested,

and for taking the necessary actions.

IHH delegation went to Attorney General’s office in Cairo with a

letter on July 13th, 2013 and had a meeting with deputy chief prosecutor. During the meeting, the aim of the delegation’s

visit to the country was stated as doing the due

diligence in terms of human rights due to the

recent events in Egypt and the subsequent

detentions and arrests. The delegation composed

of Hakan Albayrak, Izzet Sahin and Lawyer Gulden

Sonmez, indicated their demand for interviews with the jailed leader

of Freedom and Justice Party.


•Mainly Muslim Brotherhood, theopponents of the military coup and the supporters of the democratically elected President Morsi demand for Morsi’s immediate release and return to his duty, for the withdrawal of all the consequences of the military coup, the immediate call for the proceed of a new election with the decision of elected parliament and the punishment of all those responsible for killing, torture and all crimes against humanity during the regime of a military coup. These demands are legitimate, legal, equitable claims accepted by all international conventions and universal values. These demands should be accepted and implemented immediately.

•Everyone held during the peacefuldemonstrations after the military coup should be released.

•Human rights organizations, non-governmental organizations, legal or-ganizations and human rights defenders should visit Egypt and attempt to make initiation including investigation in the pri-sons, in order to prevent the violations of human rights in Egypt in the process and overcome the undesired consequences

•Allthelawyersandattorneysnomatterwhere in the world should make every necessary attempt for the release of Lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksut arrested for carrying out his duty and held in Tora Prison.

•ForthesakeofpeaceintheMiddleEast,the will of protecting the integrity of Egypt should be endeavored effectively to ensure peace and security environment by paying attention to plans and policies set forth on the Sinai Peninsula.

•The bills have been tried to assign toPalestine both during the preparation phase of the military coup and after it happened. This propaganda should not get much credit and the people of Egypt should be explained that the claims do not reflect the facts, rather purely political pretexts.

•Thedemonstrations should continue inan entirely peaceful way.

•All the closedmedia outlets should bereopened.

•TheWest, particularly theUSA shoulddescribe this coup as ‘military coup’, whose the terms and conditions formed

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

clearly, as well as all the grants should be suspended necessarily.

•After the military coup, the people ofEgypt experiencing a serious economic hardship would be experiencing more economic hardship and getting poorer in the medium and long terms. In this case, the people of Egypt, who will fall in the middle of a deep humanitarian crisis, should be supported.

•The pressure against the democraticallyelected governments, remaining silent to military coup and juntas and the destruction of the culture of elections contain the threat of converting the whole world into vicious cycle of violence. The value of democratic elections should be better understood and maximum care should be taken for maintaining a culture of election, in order to ensure peace and freedom throughout the world, and especially in Egypt.

•Thesoldiersshouldnotbeallowedtouseweapons against the civilian population, and especially the Baltageya, acting as if security forces and looking as civilian, should be prevented from attacking to civil people.

•Whoisbehindtheactionstakenagainstthe public should be identified thoroughly. For example, the attacks on the Sinai are noteworthy. Who is behind these attacks should be exposed.

•Gulf countries have lost a seriousreputation in the eyes of the Muslim societies. This support should be withdrawn immediately.

•ThesuccessofthemilitarycoupinEgyptwill be the gain of the imperialist powers not only against the Egypt people but also against the will of all the people in the region. This attempt, which would lead to the killing of many innocent people on Muslim lands, should not be allowed to succeed.

•Itshouldbenotedthatthismilitarycoupwill be meaning the Muslim communities’ lack of adequacy for self governance and its going down in history as such. If the Egyptian people are unable to present a will for self governance and

self-sufficiency, a situation will arise, which will dare for external intervention. This means more injustice, oppression, cruelty, pain and tears for the future of the people. All human rights organizations must fulfill their responsibility in order to prevent such an outcome.

•In this process, the rhetoric of Turkey’sinvolvement in the internal affairs of Egypt has been frequently heard. The absence of the same attention to those, who involved in illegality by giving any financial and political support to the military coup, has not escaped from the attention. However, in the new era, with increased opportunities for communication the boundaries between the peoples of the world were removed and the awareness of what happened in different regions raised. Therefore, the people of the world, preceding the human values when it comes to cruelty and injustice, began to deal with the problems of each other closely. Thus, the concept of “do not interfere in my internal affairs” was replaced with the concept of “shoulder to shoulder against oppression”. Military intervention in Egypt should be assessed as military coup and this unlawful status should be corrected as soon as possible.

•General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi should beinformed that he and his army will be appreciated by all the people of the world, who are for the democracy and freedom, if he takes a step back and ends this attempt.

•TheexpectationofMuslimpeoplefromthe Egyptian army made up of faithful people is to ensure the justice with the people. The Egyptian army should make use of the chance of winning prestige worldwide by being the advocate of the people, their elected persons and institutions.

•Thosewhoremainsilentagainstmilitarycoup and want to take part in the government formed by coup mentality will definitely encounter the same outcome, as they take a stand against the will of the people.

•Theconflictsofinterestinthegovernmentpersonal interests and problems should not be used against the will of the people.



•The attitude adopted by the Salafimovement against the military coup has disappointed many settings. The movement should take the necessary steps and fulfill its responsibilities in order to ensure peace and tranquility in Egypt.

•The most important fault linemanipulated by external powers is the encouragement of religious and sectarian conflicts. Everyone must act sensitively against the possible break out of Muslim-Christian conflict; and should endeavor not to be deceived in order to prevent the opponents of the peace from getting that opportunity. It should be noted that the results of possible Muslim-Christian and Shiite-Sunni conflicts will be affecting the entire region.

•TheUnitedNationsshouldtakestepsonlawlessness occurred in Egypt, although increasingly losing the credibility. In particular the United Nations Human Rights Council should make a decision to establish an independent commission of inquiry.

•The West, because of the attitude ofsupporting the military coup in Egypt began to be questioned very seriously. The non-governmental formations should join forces against all kinds of anti-peace initiative for people’s safety and for the establishment of peace.

•It has emerged once again that thenecessity of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s becoming more effective; decision-maker, the referee and the router. All the authorities must fulfill their responsibility in this regard.

•The African Union and the AfricanUnion for Human Rights must strive against the military coup in Egypt and its consequences.

•The inadequacy of the currentinternational mechanisms for being able to reduce the war, blood and tears all around the world; the repressive capacity of the civil structures created by independent organizations; the urgent and compelling need for new their formations and their taking into consideration by civil organizations should be expressed in all people and institutions.

•Rafah border gate, which providesGaza’s liaison with the world and is of a vital importance, must be kept open with humanitarian and conscientious responsibilities in order to respond to the needs of the Palestinian people favorably.

•Wewould like to see all the people ofEgypt, their management and their soldiers on the side of justice, freedom, dignity and as the defender of the oppressed people.



EGYPT REPORT JULY 201322 Büyük Karaman Cd. Taylasan Sk.No.3 Fatih - İstanbul - TurkeyTel: +90 212 631 21 21 • www.ihh.org.tr

Documents

MILITARY COUP AND HUMAN RIGHTS … COUP AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS 2 T UY 2013 Prepared by: Gulden Sonmez, Hakan Albayrak, Izzet Sahin, Nevzat Cicek, Umit Sonmez Translated by: Hasan