Human Rights Watch Accuses Egypt of Torturing Detainees

Human Rights Watch Accuses Egypt of Torturing Detainees

Human Rights Watch accused Egyptian government of arresting 22 suspected Islamists, without any proof, and forcing them to give confessions of committing which they didn”t commit.
 
Egyptian Interior Minister declared a year ago that it arrested these persons on charge of planning for launching attacks on oil pipelines, tourists and churches.
 
This was the last time to hear anything about the so called Ta”fat Al-Muntasireen “Victors Grou” after the public prosecution acknowledged not referring the case to justice and not releasing them.
The report issued on Tuesday said:” The accused were compelled to confess that they did things which they didn”t commit under torture and there is no evidence to prove the government”s allegations”, adding that the National Security Council may fabricate claims against a group of the accused and perhaps all of them”.
 
The New York-based organization said that this case is a clear example that shows the oppressive exercises carried out by the Egyptian government to tighten its iron grip on power.
For its part, Cairo continuously denies that it exercises torture.
It is worth mentioning that a huge media blackout was imposed by the Egyptian government on the case.
The organization said that the detainees were between 19 and 31 years when they were arrested in February and March 2006, adding that they were beaten, faced electric shocking and were forced to give false confessions in various solitary prisons in Cairo
 
However, the case took another turn earlier this year when the public prosecution decided not to refer the accused to justice, to release about 12 of them and keep 10 others under arrest after new orders were issued.


The families and defense of the accused said that they think that they have been targeted because of their Islamic affiliations and that authorities may use an evidence on “suspicious activities” according to the report.
Human Rights Watch said that no one of those released said anything for fear of facing harassments from policemen and for concerns over the fate of the other individuals in prison. The Egyptian government declined to reply to any question about the case altogether.