High numbers of killed persons and victims from all parties Raises concern about threats to the right to life

 Cairo 15^thAugust 2013

High numbers of killed persons and victims from all parties

Raises concern about threats to the right to life

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) expresses its concern about the high death toll from all sides, because of the events taking place in Egypt at this time and due to dispersing sit-ins, which began on Wednesday, 08/14/2013.

The ACIJLP condemns all forms of violence and counter-violence, which represents a grave threat to the right to life, especially that there is exacerbation in all forms of violence which threatens the increase of its risks and its effects.  For instance,  the events took place in Kerdasa police station, resulting in the killing of a number of police officers by unknown persons and mutilating corpses, does not only represent a grave threat of right to life, but also refers to the continuity of these threats and the dander of criminal perpetrators, which puts on the Egyptian authorities the responsibility of to take all necessary measures to prosecute and bring accountable those involved in this crime and bring them to trial as soon as possible.

The ACIJLP expresses its concern about the high number of deaths and victims of all parties in Egypt, both among the protesters or among the forces in charge of dispersing sit-ins. the ACIJLP also refers to the outstanding performance of the forces in charge of dispersing these sit-ins where they took into account the relevant international standards in many ways, where the process of dispersing these sit-ins was implementation of a decision issued by a public prosecutor. Moreover, when these forces implemented the order of the prosecution, they took into account directing an early warning through loudspeakers to the protesters stating that they will broke up their sit-in peacefully. The forces also opened a bridge for the protesters to cross safely and they promised the protesters that they will not be prosecuted and they deal humanely with them.

The ACIJLP points out that the presence of weapons in peaceful gatherings, does not constitute a threat to the peaceful protestors, but the effects of this threat will extend to the right of peaceful assembly, as an inherent right surrounded by legislative protection by legislation and international covenants, as well as by national legislation in Egypt.

In this context, the ACIJLP believes that the events which called for the declaration of a state of emergency on 14^th August 2013 in Egypt must not be manipulated by the authorities to extend the imposition of a state of emergency. Furthermore, the emergency law must not be misused to restrict the fundamental rights and freedoms.

The ACIJLP calls upon all the forces in Egypt, as well as all governmental and non-governmental organizations to take urgent and necessary measures for the immediate cessation of all forms of violence, as well as the prosecution and accountability of those involved in the acts of violence taking place in Egypt at this time, and bring them to trials taking into account the standards of fair and equitable trials.