CAIRO: London-based human rights organization Amnesty International has called on Egypt's military junta and police to ensure demonstrators on Wednesday are protected as they celebrate the one-year anniversary of the January 25 uprising that ousted the former regime of Hosni Mubarak. Their statement came as thousands of Egyptians are pouring into central Cairo's Tahrir Square, to mark the anniversary of the uprising and to demand an end to military rule over the country. Amnesty said the country's military rulers “must protect protesters and uphold the right to peaceful assembly.” On Tuesday, the military council removed the emergency laws, but maintained one caveat: “thuggery” could still see the controversial laws enacted, leaving many activists to question the legitimacy of the announcement. “Who are thugs? Are they protesters the military doesn't like. This is a joke,” Ahmed Goma'a, a protester en route to Tahrir on Wednesday, told Bikyamasr.com. “We will see what the military does tonight after people start to leave.” The Egyptian Interior Minister said in a press conference on Monday that there will be no security presence near Tahrir Square and other locations where demonstrations are planned to commemorate the January 25 Revolution. Some media added that the security forces are prepared to use live ammunition on protesters if public institutions are attacked. “Rather than abandoning the sites of planned demonstrations, the security forces must act responsibly by ensuring that everyone can safely exercise their right to peaceful expression and assembly,” said Hassiba Hadj-Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director. “In a polarized environment where protesters have been portrayed by some state media and the authorities as trouble makers and as counter-protests are planned on the day, the position of the authorities risks amounting to a dereliction of their duty.” The Interior Minister has warned that individuals impersonating uniformed police officers and soldiers may attend protests with the intent of trying to provoke confrontations between protesters and security forces. The Minister did not say what the authorities plan to do to protect the protesters or prevent any potential clashes. Activists argue this is simply a tactic to convince the population that it is not the military or police stirring violence. “Warning that there is a risk to protesters from impostors disguised as members of the police and military and not taking action to address the threat is unacceptable. Such behaviour will not restore the faith of Egyptians in long discredited interior ministry and casts a shadow on the new police code of ethics,” said Hadj-Sahraoui. A year after it came to power the Egyptian authorities have still not made public the rules issued to the security forces on the use of force despite repeated requests from Amnesty International and other organizations “Instead of ordering the security forces to stop using excessive force, it has praised their actions and continued to blame the protesters and “hidden elements” conspiring against Egypt's stability,” said Hadj-Sahraoui. “As protesters will also be paying tribute to the people killed and injured in demonstrations in Egypt, the scenes of last year's violence must not be repeated. Protesters must be allowed to exercise their right to protest peacefully, without fear of attack.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/wd81S Tags: Amnesty, featured, Jan25, Police, SCAF, Tahrir Section: Egypt, Human Rights, Latest News
