CAIRO: A video showing the Director of Security Services in Egypt's Beheria Governorate, Magdy Abu Amar, addressing a group of police officers and threatening citizens who defy the police, warning them that the police will “cut off the hands of those outlaws and people who dare to depy the police or disrespect their masters,” led to anger among Egyptians after the video was distributed on Facebook and independent Egyptian news websites. Angry Egyptians immediately created a Facebook page calling for Amar's dismissal and for holding him responsible for his threats, which reflect the same old strategy and approach of brutality inflicted upon citizens by police and security services in the past. A day after the video was widely circulated Minister of Interior Mahmoud Wagdy dismissed the Amar from his post and referred him to an unknown administrative post at the Ministry of Interior. The Facebook page calling for Amar's prosecution was quickly joined by at least 10,000 Egyptians, who all rejected these threats and called for his resignation. Later, a number of communications were filed with the Attorney General by human rights organizations against Amar, accusing him of inciting hatred against citizens. In the video, Amar said, “anyone that dares to touch any of his masters will be beaten with shoes,” a strong insult in Arab countries. Amar also addressed a group of his assistants, saying police elements are the masters of the Egyptian people and that people “cannot do without them”. He used a pejorative word in Egyptian slang, essentially calling citizens “assholes.” A prominent Egyptian human rights organization, the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights, filed two communications against Major General Magyi Abu Amar, director of security of Beheira Governorate, to the Attorney General to refer the officer to an immediate trial for his statements in the video. Communication no. 2503, which was submitted on Saturday, February 26 along with documents and a CD with the video that proves his inciting against citizens, called for Amar's resignation. The communication also included some excerpts of the video where Amar says: “Our scheme to rule this country has not been completed yet… We are their masters… Who dares to defy us will be beaten with shoes and we will cut their hands…” The Centre in its communication said Amar's threats, as Director of Security, were in contrast with the Police Act, which stipulates the obligation for its members to preserve the dignity of their profession, and their actions and attitude must be consistent with the respect to their profession. The Organization considered Amar's statements as defaming the reputation of the demonstrators and a direct incitement to hatred and the use of violence against them. The Center also called for prosecuting the officer for charges of inciting hostility towards citizens and calling on the police to terrorize and intimidate citizens. Police and security services have frequently been accused and involved in torture and abuse of citizens under the regime of former president Hosni Mubarak. A lack of confidence between citizens and security services continues following the January 25 Revolution that overthrew Mubarak's Regime, where security forces used lethal force against the protesters, killing 384 and injuring thousands during the 18-day uprising. A day earlier, before the video was posted on Youtube, a police officer was arrested after he shot dead a microbus driver in Cairo's Maadi suburb after a verbal argument erupted between the two over what eye witnesses said was a traffic dispute. The officer is to be held for four days pending an investigation. Soon after the incident, riots broke out in area. The alleged police officer, Salah el-Din Ashraf Salah el-Din, was shown burnt in a video posted on Twitter and al-Youm al-Saba`a news website, which also quoted a security source as saying that an argument erupted between the officer and the microbus driver called Amr. When residents and bystanders gathered and tried to intervene to defend the driver, the officer pulled his gun and shot the driver. In the video, people clearly say the driver “is dead.” The former Ministry of Interior is currently detained in the infamous Turah Prison, facing trial on charges of money laundering. BM
