US State Dept report reproaches Egypt for human rights abuses

The US State Department highlighted human rights violations committed in Egypt in its 2013 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released on Thursday.

The violations included the removal of an elected civilian government, excessive use of force on the part of security forces, the suppression of civil liberties and military trials of civilians.

The report also highlighted violations committed under deposed President Mohamed Morsi’s reign, including stifling the freedom of expression, arbitrary arrests, harsh conditions in prisons, impunity for security forces and lack of religious freedom.

In the first section of the 47-page report, the US State Department pointed to “arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of life” under Morsi and following his ouster. The report went on to detail unlawful killings of protesters and detainees, especially under the current interim government.

In particular, the report raised questions around the killing of journalist Al-Husseini Abu Deif, who had written about Morsi’s pardon of his brother-in-law.

The State Department wrote that by the end of 2012, over 1,000 people missing since the 2011 revolution still remained unaccounted for, citing domestic and international human rights organizations.

The case of Popular Current member Mohamed al-Guindy’s death during Morsi’s tenure was highlighted as an example of torture and inhumane punishment. Guindy allegedly died at the hands of police forces who had kidnapped him.

Prison and detention center conditions also remained harsh under the interim government, the report said.

While Morsi’s government “did not maintain effective control over security forces, which observers attributed in part to long-standing animosity between the Muslim Brotherhood and the security bureaucracy,” the interim government still commits human rights abuses, although it exercises greater control over security forces, the report alleged.

“The Morsi government frequently spoke about the need to reform abusive behavior within the civilian security forces, but undertook no identifiable efforts to do so. The interim government also did not attempt to reform the civilian security forces,” the report said.

The State Department listed violations committed against freedom of speech and press, including restrictions on internet freedom, academic freedom and cultural events, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of religion and freedom of movement, and abuses against the rights of internally displaced persons, refugees and stateless persons.

The report also tackled governmental corruption and lack of transparency, criticizing the lack of protection for public and private employees when making internal disclosures or lawful public disclosures of evidence of illegality, and the lack of access to information.

The State Department rebuked both Morsi's administration and that of interim President Adly Mansour for their attitude regarding international and nongovernmental investigation of these alleged human rights abuses, saying “restrictions on local and international NGO activities continued to limit the ability of NGOs to carry out their work.”

Discrimination and societal abuses were rampant under both administrations, the report claims, particularly against women, who have been subject to rape, domestic violence and sexual harassment, among other practices.