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Egypt: Islamic Justice under President Morsi

 

By Assad Elepty

Many Egyptians are now ruing the day they toppled Mubarak, life in Egypt has gone from bad to catastrophic. The Egyptian revolution was sparked by the brutal killing of one young man by Egyptian police.

Under the rule of Morsi and the radical Islamists “the brotherhood” it has changed, the change has been a dramatic escalation of police brutality predominantly dished out against those that oppose Morsi and the Brotherhood.

Cairo-based rights outfit cites over 200 cases of police brutality - including killings, torture and kidnappings - during President Morsi's first 100 days in office. This legacy of retribution has put the fear of god in the hearts of those reflecting on life under Mubarak compared to the status quo where the brotherhood will not tolerate criticism in the media, public or any means. It is apparent those immune from retribution are the brave souls living outside Egypt that utilise the net to expose the brotherhood hypocrisy, double standards and hollow promises made in the lead up to the first so called “free” elections.

 

Indeed last Friday brotherhood members attacked those participating in a secular protest, as a direct result Egypt's public prosecutor has ordered an investigation into violence that broke out last Friday between Islamist and liberal demonstrators, including accusations against top-ranking officials in the Muslim Brotherhood for ordering the attacks.  

 

The worry for Egyptians is it is very apparent the brotherhood is using the police apparatus to instantly deal with any descent in a manner that mirrors communist rule.  

The statistics are horrific; the first 100 days under the rule of Morsi are cause for serious alarm.  In a recent report published by the Cairo-based Nadim Centre for the Rehabilitation of Torture Victims, 34 cases of death, 88 cases of torture, and seven cases of sexual assault at the hands of Egyptian police were recorded during Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's first 100 days in office. The report recorded a total of over 247 cases of police brutality, where not a single Islamist was a victim of this brutality.

 

The report states that at least 34 people were killed by police in police stations, prisons and in public areas. The report also cites 88 cases of torture by police. The seven people that the report alleges were sexually assaulted by police during interrogation include a young man who filed a legal complaint against a police officer and was later threatened and subject to torture.

More than eight cases of the kidnapping of secular political activists were also recorded, several of whom were also allegedly subject to torture and sexual abuse.

At least ten anti Morsi protests were dispersed by force during Morsi's first 100 days as president, along with several cases of arbitrary arrest. In addition over ten police raids on homes and private property of political activists were also recorded by the centre.

Despite promises by the brotherhood led government, there are no plans to reform Egypt's police force and the elimination of all forms of police torture and abuse, which had dramatically increased since the ousting of president Hosni Mubarak.

Magda Adli, director of El-Nadim centre believes the police torture tactics have worsened since Egypt's 25 January revolution. "On the contrary, there is a retaliation attitude used by the police while torturing activists. However, the brotherhood and freedom and justice party deny any torture is being used. Adli maintains there has been a stark increase in police brutality under rule of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party; they are now proposing moral police with unabated powers that mirror Saudi Arabia and Egyptian women will be the first targets.  

The increased police presence on Egypt's streets during Morsi's first 100 days, is a deliberate ploy to silence his critics not to maintain civility, law & order.

The Egyptian populous are quickly getting a taste of the restrictive impositions and erosion of freedom of speech under brotherhood rule, with the passage of time it is inevitable there will be a shocking and bloody backlash on Egypt’s streets.