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Amnesty calls on Egyptian police to exercise restraint on 30 June Rights group releases a statement calling on Egyptian authorities to ensure security forces uphold right to peaceful protest
Amnesty International has called on Egyptian police to exercise "self-restraint" on Sunday's nationwide protests aimed at forcing President Mohamed Morsi to step down. The international organization said in a statement released Friday that the Egyptian authorities should stay committed to the right to peaceful protest and protect protesters and citizens from acts of violence. "Itis absolutely imperative that the Egyptian authorities issue very clear instructions to security forces to uphold protesters' right to freedom of assembly and refrain from unnecessary or excessive force," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director. Both the interior ministry and the military have announced that they will work on protecting strategic sites and locations around Egypt during the protests and will protect the demonstrations to prevent any violence. Egypt is anticipating nationwide protests on Sunday aimed at forcing Morsi to step down and call for early presidential elections. Already protesters are holding sit-ins in Cairo's central Tahrir Square and Ittihadeya presidential palace in Heliopolis. Thousands went out in protests on Friday in preparation of Sunday's demonstration. In response, the president's supporters, mainly of Islamist groups, are holding an "open-ended demonstration" spearheaded by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, from which Morsi hails, until the 30 June protests are over. Tensions have been building between the president's supporters and opponents. Clashes broke out in several governorates since Wednesday leaving at least seven dead,according to Egypt's Health Ministry. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/75250.aspx
