The international human rights watchdog Amnesty International urged Egyptian authorities Saturday not to use lethal weapons against illegal immigrants except in accordance with strict limitations. "The organization is calling for immediate action by the Egyptian authorities to check their border forces' excessive use of force against unarmed migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers," the group said in a statment Saturday, following a series of shootings which have made this the bloodiest week at the border since September 2009. This week four foreign nationals – all believed to be unarmed migrants – were reportedly shot dead by Egyptian border forces when they attempted to cross the border into Israel. Five have now been killed this year while trying to make the crossing, the first on January 8; a further two others were reported to have been seriously injured by gunfire. Egypt said in a report last year the border guards were working in “respect of the international law and international commitments”. "As Egypt's human rights record is coming under scrutiny this month in the framework of the United Nations' Universal Periodic Review, Amnesty International is also calling on members of Human Rights Council to probe such killings and to ensure that Egypt overhauls the instruction of its security forces," the statment said.
