In a statement before the Human Rights Council:
CIHRS and AFTE Condemns Rights Violations in Egypt

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) and the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) presented a statement on the situation of human rights in Egypt to the UN Human Rights Council today, 17 September 2013. The statement comes as part of the discussions of the 24^th session of the Council, which is currently convened in Geneva and which will continue until 27 September 2013.

Both Organizations used this statement to condemn the escalating violence seen in the country. CIHRS first denounced the “disproportionate and unwarranted lethal force” used recently by government forces to break up the two sit-ins held by the Muslim Brotherhood, as this use of force did not comply with international standards and left hundreds dead and thousands injured.

They further condemned the incitement to violence by some leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, stating that there are credible reasons to believe that this incitement led to violent attacks on police and government buildings as well as against Coptic Christians and their churches and property, leaving dozens dead and terrorizing the Coptic population in recent weeks.

The statement asserted that the Egyptian state has failed its responsibility to take the necessary measures to put an end to this violence, to conduct independent investigations into all violations, and to hold those responsible to account. The statement further stated that the exceptional measures being taken to restrict basic freedoms under the renewed state of emergency are unacceptable, including violations to the right to due process. CIHRS also noted with concern the recent repression targeting the right freedom of expression, with media professionals facing attacks and even killings at the hands of both the security authorities and Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

Finally, the organizations emphasized that the Egyptian authorities should refrain from taking further exceptional measures in the name of protecting public security and “combating terrorism”, as these policies undermine the rule of law and the rights of Egyptian citizens. Instead, the Egyptian authorities should adopt a serious plan to contain the violence through peaceful and political means, while ensuring that the rights of all Egyptians are respected and protected.