Global IssuesEGYPT: Military More Repressive Than Mubarak
Egyptians hoping for greater freedoms and less police brutality after the fall of president Hosni Mubarak say the military council that has ruled in his place has carried on the ex-dictator's brutal legacy, and in some cases exceeded it.
'The military council is dealing with the Egyptian people as if it is running a military camp,' says rights activist Sherif Azer. 'It took decades for enough anger to build up against Mubarak for a revolution; it has only taken nine months to have another.'
Thousands of Egyptians took to the streets across Egypt this week calling for the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to hasten the transition to civilian rule and for its leader, Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, to step down. At least 41 people have been killed and over 3,000 injured in nearly a week of clashes between protesters and the security forces they want disbanded.
The confrontation began Nov. 19 after military and riot police used excessive force to evict a small group of protesters attempting to occupy Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square following a demonstration earlier that day that sought to limit the military's powers. The heavy-handed police operation, in which many unarmed demonstrators were severely beaten with batons and sticks, drew thousands of Egyptian activists to the square.
The violence quickly escalated. The more tear gas and rubber bullets that riot police poured on the protesters, the more their numbers grew and the protest spread.
'The issue was not about politics or democracy, it was about brutality,' explains activist Mostafa Shouman. 'People didn't accept to see the same brutal tactics (of Mubarak's era) used on peaceful protesters, and sympathised with them.'
In reality, the anger has been building for over nine months. Many Egyptians who welcomed military rule back in February now revile it. They look enviously toward Tunisia, which also rose up last winter but has already completed its transition to a democratically elected government — and without Egypt's exhaustive list of rights abuses.
A new report by rights watchdog Amnesty International claims the SCAF has 'failed to live up to its promises to improve Egyptian human rights,' arguing that repression and human rights abuses are in some cases worse now than under Mubarak.
'By using military courts to try thousands of civilians, cracking down on peaceful protest and expanding the remit of Mubarak's Emergency Law, the SCAF has continued the tradition of repressive rule which the January 25 demonstrators fought so hard to get rid of,' said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa acting director.
The report accuses Egypt's military rulers of consistently attempting to muzzle dissent by enacting draconian legislation and using brute force to end protests. Thousands of activists and bloggers have been detained over the past nine months. Several remain in custody, including blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad, who was sentenced to three years in prison in April for criticising the military and objecting to compulsory conscription.
'Those who have challenged or criticised the military council — like demonstrators, journalists, bloggers, striking workers — have been ruthlessly suppressed, in an attempt at silencing their voices,' said Luther.
Since Egypt's revolution began on Jan. 25, over 12,000 civilians have been tried in military courts — about six times the number of civilians sent to military trials during Mubarak's entire 30 years in power. Human rights groups have condemned the trials, which have imposed heavy sentences for anything from breaking curfew to insulting the army or the vaguely defined charge of 'thuggery.'
'Military courts are inherently unfair,' says Adel Ramadan, a lawyer at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). 'These trials typically last just five to 20 minutes and involve up to 35 defendants per case. The judge is a member of the military…and if he decides to hand down a five-year prison sentence or even the death penalty, it cannot be appealed.'
Rights groups say torture and humiliation — systemic during the Mubarak era — continues in police stations, prisons and detention centres across the country. Former detainees and prisoners have recounted abuse while in police and military custody, with some women claiming they were subjected to humiliating 'virginity tests' by army doctors after being detained during a protest in March.
Last month, 23-year-old inmate Essam Atta died in a Cairo hospital after having been allegedly subjected to sadistic torture by prison guards. Many Egyptians drew parallels between his death and that of Khaled Said, the 28-year-old who was tortured to death by police in June 2010. The public outcry over Said's death was pivotal in building the momentum that eventually led to Mubarak's ouster.
'Unfortunately, nothing has changed,' says Azer. 'The police and military still operate with a sense of impunity.'
This week's clashes follow a number of similar crackdowns on demonstrations, including the army's brutal attack last month on a group of mainly Coptic Christian protesters that left 27 dead and over 300 injured. Video of the Oct. 9 incident posted to YouTube corroborates witness testimony that soldiers opened fire on the unarmed demonstrators while armoured personnel carriers repeatedly ploughed through the crowds at high speed.
The current confrontation is indicative of the widening gap between the SCAF and the people. In a recent public survey, over 43 percent of Egyptians polled said they believe the military council is working to slow or reverse the gains of the revolution.
'It appears the SCAF leaders are worried that if they step down they will be sent to trial (for corruption and rights violations), so they're trying to stay in power at any cost,' says Azer.
Speaking on national television last Tuesday, adopting a style and tone reminiscent of Mubarak, Field Marshall Tantawi denied that the military council was seeking to consolidate its power. He said parliamentary elections scheduled to begin on Nov. 28 would take place as planned, though presidential elections would be moved up to June 2012.
But as clashes continued the SCAF sought to defuse the situation. At a press conference on Thursday the generals apologised for protester casualties and offered condolences to the families of the 'martyrs.' They promised to prosecute any officer found responsible for injuring protesters, and to provide compensation to the families of those injured or killed.
The concessions did little to quell the anger on the street, but a truce between protesters and riot police that began on Thursday morning appears to be holding. For how long is anyone's guess, but protesters' plans for a 'million man march' on Tahrir Square following Friday prayers is certain to ratchet up the pressure.
© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service