DIn Egypt, the number of executions is increasing at an alarming rate. Amnesty International It is estimated that by 2020, this number has more than tripled, reaching at least 107. If the rhythm of the first half of the year is maintained, this number will be even higher in 2021. Since 2014, hundreds of people have been sentenced to death, and dozens of people have been sentenced to death every month. Thousands of people were in cruel and inhumane prison conditions during pretrial detention, and the length of detention was automatically extended.
There may be another wave of executions in the coming days. The Supreme Court confirmed 12 death sentences against the main representative of the Muslim Brotherhood on June 14.Two weeks later, the president can Abdul Fatah Sisi Command execution. This also requires the signature of Grand Mufti Schauki Ibrahim Allam. It is not clear whether these two signatures are available. Human Rights Watch called on Sisi to commute the death sentence to imprisonment.
The accused is not the perpetrator, but the victim
The largest large-scale criminal case in Egyptian history is about to be concluded. Three years later, an anti-terrorism court in Cairo announced its verdict on 739 people in September 2018.They were after the dissolution of the two protest camps, including supporters of the president who was overthrown by the coup. Mohamed Morsi Has gathered and was arrested. On August 14, 2013, these two camps were attacked, killing more than 1,150 people. Human Rights Watch wrote that the massacre was “suspected of crimes against humanity.” The “comprehensive and systematic” killing illustrates this point. No one who participated in the massacre was held accountable or charged.
However, 739 people were charged for participating in the sit-in. Of these, 75 were sentenced to death, 47 were sentenced to life imprisonment, and 374 were sentenced to 15 years in prison. The survivors of the Holocaust were charged with murder, resisting state power and damaging government buildings. Nine Egyptian human rights organizations accused the judiciary of “shamelessly disregarding justice and the rule of law” and “policy above impunity.”
The Supreme Court of Appeal has now commuted 33 death sentences to life imprisonment; it has confirmed life imprisonment and hundreds of long sentences. However, 12 former leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood are awaiting execution, including Muhammad Bertaji, who has not been in contact with the outside world since March 2017.
Since the 2013 coup, Egypt has built 16 new prisons. Last week, the Minister of the Interior announced the construction of eight more prisons. Currently, there are thousands of prisoners in solitary confinement and cells without sunlight awaiting the death penalty without the death penalty. Essam al-Eryan died in his cell in August 2020, presumably due to lack of medical assistance. Morsi died in court in June 2019. Human Rights Watch Document how the Egyptian government used arbitrary arrests, detentions, and harassment against independent organizations and peaceful critics of the government. It is based on a law that criminalizes freedom of speech and assembly. In June, two young women suffering from the flu were sentenced to long-term imprisonment.
economic depression
At a time when the Egyptian economy is volatile, the repression is intensifying. The tourism industry, the Suez Canal and the Gulf region’s guest worker remittance income has declined or dropped sharply. Traditionally, they are the country’s main source of income. The Gulf monarchy, which has provided Cairo with $60 billion since the coup d’état, no longer transfers large sums of money because they need the funds themselves. The European Union’s payments have also dried up because they have linked funds to human rights provisions.
In addition, the pandemic has exposed the deficiencies of the Egyptian country, and Ethiopia’s dams are threatened by water shortages. However, Egypt was at a loss because Sisi acknowledged Ethiopia’s rights to the dam during his visit to Addis Ababa in 2015. In Libya, Egypt had to accept a solution that Cairo-backed rebel general Khalifa Haftar no longer played a role, while in Gaza, Egypt was dealing with the strengthening of Hamas.
In this context, the suppression is revenge against the Muslim Brotherhood, which is the most important political opponent. During the exile-mainly Turks-on the TV channel, she drew attention to the dissatisfaction of Egypt. The regime may also worry that only about 40,000 Muslim Brotherhoods will be detained. This is roughly equivalent to less than one tenth of the share. Therefore, the structure of the movement should continue to operate underground. Obviously, the purpose is to put any opposition under permanent pressure and undermine their morals.
