Human Rights Watch Denounces Egypt Military Trials
NEW YORK (PRESS TV) – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has censured Egyptian authorities over referring hundreds of civilians to military courts based on a decree by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
"Curtailing the use of military courts to try civilians was one of the few tangible gains of the 2011 revolution, but that’s out the window now,” the HRW’s Middle East and North Africa Director Sarah Leah Whitson said in reference to the uprising three years ago that ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak.
She added, "Al-Sisi’s administration is methodically reversing the reforms achieved in 2011, while the United States and other governments resume arming the government as if none of it matters.”
"Militarizing the trials of civilians, including children, is taking Egypt in the wrong direction, and doing so retroactively compounds the abuse,” Whitson stated.
On October 27, Sisi issued a decree that placed all "public and vital facilities” under military jurisdiction for the coming two years.
Whitson said, "President Al-Sisi should repeal his October decree before more damage is done if he has any concern for preserving Egypt’s reputation and the new constitution he has sworn to protect.”
"He should also annul all verdicts against civilians that military courts have handed down since his government took power and order their retrial before civil judges,” she said.
Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically-elected president, was ousted in July 2013 in a military coup led by Sisi, Egypt’s current president and the then army commander.
Since then, the North African country’s military-backed government has launched a heavy crackdown on Morsi’s supporters, arresting thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members, including the party’s senior leaders.
"Curtailing the use of military courts to try civilians was one of the few tangible gains of the 2011 revolution, but that’s out the window now,” the HRW’s Middle East and North Africa Director Sarah Leah Whitson said in reference to the uprising three years ago that ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak.
She added, "Al-Sisi’s administration is methodically reversing the reforms achieved in 2011, while the United States and other governments resume arming the government as if none of it matters.”
"Militarizing the trials of civilians, including children, is taking Egypt in the wrong direction, and doing so retroactively compounds the abuse,” Whitson stated.
On October 27, Sisi issued a decree that placed all "public and vital facilities” under military jurisdiction for the coming two years.
Whitson said, "President Al-Sisi should repeal his October decree before more damage is done if he has any concern for preserving Egypt’s reputation and the new constitution he has sworn to protect.”
"He should also annul all verdicts against civilians that military courts have handed down since his government took power and order their retrial before civil judges,” she said.
Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically-elected president, was ousted in July 2013 in a military coup led by Sisi, Egypt’s current president and the then army commander.
Since then, the North African country’s military-backed government has launched a heavy crackdown on Morsi’s supporters, arresting thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members, including the party’s senior leaders.