CAIRO: Egypt's military rulers said on Tuesday that soldiers who have taken part in violent clashes and committed human rights violations against citizens would be prosecuted by military tribunals, an official was reported as saying. The statement from General Adel Morsi comes as Egypt witnessed clashes between protesters and soldiers for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, and appears to be a mover to appease protesters who have accused the military of gross violations. At least 14 people have been killed and over 700 injured in the clashes, which began on Friday after the military attacked a peaceful sit-in at the country's Cabinet building, burning tents. However, the military appeared to be sticking to their official line of Monday, when an official said Egyptian protesters had used “excessive force” against soldiers, who used “restraint” and did not attack protesters. The statement on Tuesday refers to previous protest violence and the “virginity tests” employed by the military against female protesters earlier in the year, which sparked massive outrage locally and internationally. Samira Ibrahim, a woman who the military gave the “tests” to, has since filed a lawsuit against the military over the matter, but her case has been pushed back due to the ongoing violence, but is expected to be tried in court. Morsi said cases of reported forced “virginity tests” on detained female protesters last April had also been transferred to the Supreme Military Court. Rights activists have repeatedly criticised investigations led by the military saying they lacked transparency and impartiality, deeming their results as untrustworthy. “There can't be an investigation without transparency … when victims' lawyers ask for information, they refuse to give it to them, which is a procedural violation,” Heba Morayef of Human Rights Watch said in comments published by Reuters. Morsi also added that those accused of running protesters over on October 9, in front of the state television building, in what has come to be known as the “Maspero massacre” would be tried, but did not speak on the topic of the military opening fire on unarmed Coptic Christians. At least 27 people died on that day, which sparked massive outpouring of anger toward the military rulers. “The media circulated an argument that no legal actions were taken against those who ran over protesters near Maspero and we say that the case is being looked by the Supreme Military Court,” head of the Military Judiciary Authority, General Adel Morsi, said in a statement. Various Egyptian political forces held a counter-press conference at Cairo's Sawy Culture Wheel on Tuesday afternoon, in response to Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) press conference held on Monday in which the state pledged innocence and restraint in the ongoing clashes in Cairo that have left at least 14 dead and 700 injured. The coalitions issued a statement blaming the SCAF for the ongoing violence in downtown Cairo, which has entered its fifth consecutive day. They went on to call for the immediate trial of those who ordered the attack on protesters that initiated the escalating violence. The activists juxtaposed footage of government officials denying responsibility for the violence with video footage showing Egyptian soldiers using alarmingly excessive force on the protests, deconstructing the state discourse broadcast yesterday. It was an emotional scene, as various political figures, field hospital workers and protesters gave testimonies to the state-waged violence they witnessed in the square and in clashes in front of Egypt's parliament building. On Monday morning, Egyptian soldiers used indiscriminate live ammunition on those who remained at the protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square, killing another 4 demonstrators. The press conference concluded with a call for a renewed revolution and mass demonstrations in Tahrir Square this coming Friday, as the room erupted into emotional chants calling for the downfall of the military council. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/vRSX4 Tags: featured, Protests, SCAF, Violations, Virginity Tests Section: Egypt, Latest News, Women
