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Amnesty International calls for 'impartial' investigations into massacres in Egypt

February 7, 2014 at 3:13 pm

Amnesty International has called for an impartial and effective investigation into the killings that took place in Egypt over the previous days. It also described the response of the international community on these massacres as “weak”.

“There must be a full, impartial and effective investigation into the shocking loss of life that has taken place in Egypt over the last week, with full accountability for whoever committed or ordered the unwarranted lethal crackdown,” said Amnesty International’s leaders who gathered in Berlin on Monday.


Secretary General of the international organisation, Salil Shetty, said that the interim government has already stained its human rights record “first by breaking its promises to use non-lethal weapons to disperse pro-Morsi sit-ins and allow for the safe exit of wounded, and then by justifying their actions despite the tragic loss of lives.”

The international organisation also criticised the “weak” response of the international community. “The response of the international community has been weak and ineffective, even as everyone leaps to condemn the horrific loss of life,” it said.

The organisation added: “The international community must act decisively to send a message that no government can behave this way and retain any credibility.”

Calling for a comprehensive investigation into the massacres recently committed, the organisation stated: “That hundreds of people across Egypt could be killed by the security forces – as well as thousands injured – in just a few days defies belief. Nothing less than a comprehensive investigation can ensure justice for the victims and accountability for the perpetrators.”

Salil Shetty explained that Egyptian authorities do not have an honest history in the field of blaming its members for human rights violations. “The Egyptian authorities have a very poor track record in holding members of the security forces to account for using excessive, and unwarranted, lethal force,” he said.

Therefore, Shetty argued that it is important for international bodies to be allowed to investigate the massacres committed in Egypt. “UN experts – especially the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions – must be given access to the country to investigate the circumstances of the violence and the pattern of excessive and unwarranted lethal force,” he said.

Shetty concluded that, “A clear violation of international law and standards has been carried out in Egypt in what can be described as no less than utter carnage. The Egyptian authorities must take immediate action to prevent further loss of life, while bringing security and public order back to the streets.”