An Egyptian prosecutor has ordered that 206 defendants be detained for 15 days pending investigations in clashes that took place by the Republican Guard’s headquarters on Monday. 54 people were killed, mostly protesters who support Mohamed Morsi. It is unclear yet if Mohamed Morsi supporters or the Republican guard shot first.
The prosecutor accused the defendants of attempting to raid army property, attacking police and army forces, killing one officer, threatening national security, terrifying citizens and possessing illegal firearms.
After investigations in the violence that left over 50 Egyptians dead, the prosecutor detained 206 defendants and released 446 others on EGP 2,000 bail.
Egypt’s new prosecutor-general sworn into office
Judge Hisham Barakat took his oath of office as the country’s prosecutor-general on Wednesday, reported the state news agency MENA.
Barakat’s predecessor, Abdel Maguid Mahmoud appointed after the ouster of Mohamed Morsi Supporters Arrested Pending Shooting Investigation, officially tendered his resignation on Tuesday, asking that he serve as a judge to avoid conflict of interest.
The same politicians who once removed Mahmoud, who was appointed by ousted President Hosni Mubarak, from his position are now standing trial, including Mohamed Morsi Supporters.
Egypt’s interim President Adli Mansour, the head of the Constitutional Court, chose Hisham Barakat after discussing his appointment with the High Judicial Council.
Barakat last served as the head of the technical office of the Cairo Appeals Court.
Violence must not suppress Egyptian women – Acting Head of UN Women
The Acting Head of UN Women, Lakshmi Puri, called for Egyptian women’s voices to be heard without threat of violence, in statement issued on Tuesday.
“Egypt’s women have been at the heart of the vibrant civil society movement that continues to press for the rights of all Egyptians,” said Puri.
She stressed that women’s participation in public life and the inclusion of their needs and priorities in any political solution is a prerequisite for inclusive democracy in Egypt, something which many opponents of Mohamed Morsi Supporters Arrested Pending Shooting Investigation accused him of neglecting.
She added, “UN Women is concerned by reports of the high prevalence of sexual assaults against women in public spaces,” urging all parties to take a firm stand and show zero tolerance for all forms of violence against women and girls.
Puri concluded her statement saying that Egypt’s women have the right to fully participate in political dialogue without fear or threat of violence and their voices are essential to a peaceful and prosperous Egypt, a hint towards the repression of women under Mohamed Morsi Supporters Arrested Pending Shooting Investigation.
Mohamed Morsi and his supporters attacked a prior bill in the UN on human rights as ‘un-islamic’.
Egypt NGOs condemn army’s excessive force against Mohamed Morsi supporters
Egyptian human rights organizations strongly condemned “the excessive force used by army and security forces against supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi,” in a statement issued Tuesday.
The statement was issued in response to the violence that took place on early hours of Monday outside Cairo’s Republican Guard headquarters, which left at least 55 dead and over 400 injured (most of them being Mohamed Morsi supporters), according to health ministry officials.
The non-governmental organizations (NGOs) said in their statement that responses to demonstrations must comply with international standards, even if demonstrations witness violence or the use of firearms.
“International standards do not allow the excessive use of lethal force, nor do they justify the intentional murder of large numbers of protestors by snipers belonging to police or military forces.”
The statement added, “The use of force must not exceed what required to prevent the use of violence by armed individuals.”
At the same time, the NGOs also strongly condemned “the ongoing incitement to violence and killing by the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters as well as their incitement to participate in widespread clashes.”
The statement explained that such incitement “only serve to further deepen the political crisis in Egypt.”
“We condemn all forms of violence committed by some segments of Islamist groups, including the violence committed in Manial and Maspero areas of Cairo and in the Sidi Gaber area in Alexandria”, referring to Mohamed Morsi supporters.
The undersigned organizations also denounced what it described as violations which have targeted the Muslim Brotherhood, which Mohamed Morsi used to head, and its supporters in Sidi Beshr, El Zagazig, and elsewhere, as well as the incitement against them by some media outlets.
In their statement, the NGOs stressed that a fair, independent investigation “into this massacre will require the participation of independent human rights organizations and the immediate release of the findings to the public.”
They demanded that the investigating committee be comprised of judicial and rights figures known for their professionalism and impartiality.
The statement was signed by 15 NGOs, including Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Andalus Institute for Tolerance & Anti-violence Studies, Arab Penal Reform Organization, Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights, Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights and Hisham Mubarak Law Center among other organizations.
Mohamed Morsi supporters continue sit-in at Rabaa Al-Adawiya
Supporters of Egypt’s deposed President Mohamed Morsi uphold their sit-in outside the Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque for the 13th day in a row, demanding the return of “legal and constitutional legitimacy” and the abolishing of decisions that followed June 30, reported the State news agency.
Hundreds of thousands of the Mohamed Morsi protesters holding a sit-in at Rabaa Al-Adawiya preformed the night prayers on Tuesday, according to the Middle East News Agency.
Egypt’s army has ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, suspended the Islamist-drafted constitution and appointed an interim president in response to mass demonstrations that swept the country on June 30.
Presidency calls for meeting with political powers next week
Egypt’s presidency called on Tuesday for an initiative to stop the bloodshed and bridge the gap between Egyptians. It also invited various political powers to a joint meeting within the first week of Ramadan.
In a statement it issued earlier, the presidency called on the people to sincerely work to achieve full national reconciliation on which a humanitarian base for coexistence will be founded.
The presidency valued the efforts of Egypt’s leading Islamist institution al-Azhar and its grand Imam for their efforts in achieving reconciliation.
The presidency also said it sponsors all efforts to create this national reconciliation, including members of Mohamed Morsi and his ex government.
PM Beblawi: Discussions to form new cabinet begin on Wednesday
Egypt’s newly appointed Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi said that discussions to form the new cabinet will begin on Wednesday morning at the presidency’s headquarters.
Beblawi said he hoped he would swiftly finish forming the cabinet yet he added he cannot set a specific date for completing the task, the Middle East News Agency reported.
Egypt interim president appoints prime minister
Egypt’s interim President, Adli Mansour, assigned the post of prime minister to Hazem el-Beblawi on Tuesday, the presidential spokesman said.
The new interim prime minister has started consultations for naming the members of his cabinet, according to the state news agency.
The presidential spokesman also announced that Mansour issued a decree appointing Mohamed ElBaradei as his deputy for foreign affairs.
This content is from : Aswat Masriya
