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On the savage executions in Egypt

January 7, 2018 at 11:42 am

Members of Egyptian Armed Forces in Cairo, Egypt on 26 December 2017 [Egyptian Armed Forces/Anadolu Agency]

The Egyptian government refused to allow 2017 to end in peace without shedding the blood of Egyptians. Therefore, it carried out the death sentence against 15 innocent citizens tried before a military court. Cases were fabricated against them, but we know they are innocent for the simple reason that they were forcibly detained by the security forces before the incidents they were convicted of occurred. Their families informed the prosecution of this, but these individuals are known as forcibly disappeared individuals who are offered to the police as scapegoats pinned with various charges, despite the lack of any evidence indicating their involvement. However, the military court sentenced them to death and this was approved by the country’s military leader, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

Just as the Egyptian government wanted to end the year with the bloodshed of Egyptians, it also wanted to start the New Year by shedding the blood of innocent Egyptians. Four young Egyptian men were executed under the same circumstances as the 15 others. They were kidnapped before the crime they were accused of was committed, tortured, and then falsely accused of the crime. They were sentenced to death, and then proved to be innocent, but Al-Sisi insisted on killing them, thus executing 19 citizens in less than a week. All of these citizens had earned higher education degrees, graduating as engineers and doctors.

The government also illegally killed 13 others in what they call physical liquidation, meaning they were not arrested and given a hearing in order to have a chance to defend themselves in a fair trial. This has not happened in Egypt since the military coup in 2013, as justice has been absent and the judiciary was politicised and became under the control of the military. It is the military institution that governs the judiciary and issues rulings, and unfortunately, all the judges do is read out what was dictated to them. The standing and respect for the judiciary has been lost under the rule of the military, and justice is absent in the courts, just as it is absent in all of Egypt.

Four executed in Egypt for 2015 stadium bombing

It is sad that there is a case in which Mohamed Morsi, various Muslim Brotherhood leaders, and a number of political activists are charged with insulting the judiciary. The case was filed against them by the Egyptian Judges’ Club. The rulings were recently issued for this case, and the sentencing ranged between imprisonment and fines. Of course, President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood leaders were sentenced to three years in prison and a $113,000 fine. As for the political activists, they were fined $1,700.

It is an unfortunate that on the same day that 15 innocent citizens were executed, others were released. Since those who were sentenced to death are Muslims, there was no sympathy for them from the international human rights organisations. We did not hear any condemnations of the government from Western countries that are against the death sentence. However, CNN exposed Al-Sisi’s government’s crimes and the fabrication that occurred in the Kafr El Sheikh incident, in which four young Egyptians were executed at the beginning of the year. It carried out a long investigation in which it contacted the families of these young men after they were kidnapped before the incident, and the channel proved they were tortured and proved their innocence with evidence.

However, no human rights organisations took any action. This further angered Egypt’s oppressed Muslim citizens; surely if this had occurred to Christian citizens, the world would be up in arms.

In short, since the bloody coup in Egypt, oppression has prevailed and justice has been absent. The country has been drowned in a sea of blood.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.