CAIRO: The Egyptian ministry of interior has denied reports that police in the southern city of Aswan were arrested last week for “not fasting” and publicly breaking the Islamic sundown to sunset fast during Ramadan. In an exclusive statement to Egyptian newspaper al-Youm al-Saba'a, Assistant Interior Minister General Nagi al-Hasi denied the reports, which were reported by Bikya and the Egyptian newspaper. He said that police crackdowns in Aswan were not part of any “government campaign” to arrest those who publicly broke the fast. He argued that people had “mixed things and were confused over the matter, since the security measures taken are to follow-up on field activities of all police departments to combat crime in general and drugs.” Hasi added that police arrested those who were acting “suspicious” to police. Brgadier General Atef Shalabi, head of the Criminal Investigation Unit in Aswan, said that the ministry had revised the names of those allegedly arrested for breaking their fast and said that “it found that it did not happen at all.” He pointed to Mohamad Ramadan, who was not listed in any security directorate in the city, and Ahmed Mustafa, who had been “accused in 10 cases and sentenced to one month imprisonment,” which was the reason for his “arrest” and this had nothing to do with fasting. Last week, Egyptian police in Aswan reportedly arrested 155 people for “not fasting†during the holy month of Ramadan. According to local reports from the southern Egyptian city, police have targeted those who “break their fast publicly†and if caught eating or drinking anything in daylight, police have arrested them immediately, including Mustafa, who claims he was purchasing juice for his family. “I was standing at the store buying juice for my children for Iftar [meal that breaks the fast],†adding that he was indeed fasting. He is just one of many citizens who have felt the heavy hand of Egyptian police during the holy month. Human Rights groups, jurists and activists have condemned the arrests and called for the “campaign†to be rescinded as fears over the unprecedented move in Egypt are rising fears and concerns that hard-line police officers are taking control of the law without cause. “It is horrible what is going on and we cannot stand by and allow this to continue, because we want to live in a free society,†said Ahmed, a member of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood. “Religion is not compulsory and this should be maintained.†A man in his mid-40s was arrested by police in the town, had a misdemeanor charge filed against him and then held at a local police station, where police accused the man of breaking his fast, a charge that does not exist in the Egyptian legal code. Gamal Eid, the Director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) criticized the so-called campaign, stressing that it is illegal and described the latest move by the ministry as “a maneuver from the government to appease Islamists, so that it would look like a supporter of religion, to gain the same ground the Islamists have.†He also said it was “evidence of religious extremism that [has] risen amongst some police officers.†Sergeant Sherif Afifi, Chief Investigator in Kom Ombo, near Aswan, also denied the presence of any campaigns by the secret police against those who break their fast publicly, “but the ordinary citizens felt the security presence during the holy month and reports about a campaign of this kind are merely unfounded rumors.” He added that during the holy month police in the area have launched a number of campaigns against “hotbeds of fireworks manufacturing and explosives.” He explained that the police received numerous complaints about “violations” that the ministry says they have acted upon. **reporting by Mohamed Abdel Salam BM
