40 WOMEN KILLED, 500 OTHERS DETAINED SINCE MORSI OUSTER
Cairo, 26 Muharam 1435 / 30 November 2013 ( MINA ) – Egypt’s pro-democracy group said at least 40 female supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi have been killed and 500 others arrested since the July 3 ouster of the elected leader.
“killings of women continued until the dispersal of pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo in mid-August, in which hundreds of people, including many women, were killed,” Women Againts Coup movement said in a report as quoted by Anadolu Agency and Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).
According to the group, the first casualties among pro-Morsi women occurred in the Nile Delta province of Mansoura on July 19 when four women were killed during pro-democracy rally.
“The coup has committed crimes against women in violation of international norms and conventions,” the movement added.
The report said that 500 female supporters of the ousted president were arrested in the first three days that followed the eviction of the pro-Morsi sit-ins.
Twenty-two female supporters were also arrested in Alexandria during a pro-Morsi rally on October 31, the movement said.
The report accused the military-backed authorities of trumpeting up charges against pro-Morsi female supporters, calling on civil society organizations and the international community to form fact-finding commissions into what it called “violations committed by coup-makers” against Egyptian women.
It also called for bringing those responsible for these “violations” to justice.
The report, however, did not mention the number of women who have been released.
The Interior Ministry has not released any data about the number of detainees since Morsi’s overthrow.
On Wednesday, Sidi Gaber court in Alexandria-Egypt, decided 11-years prison sentence over 14 young women who are members of the Morning 7 Movement anti-coup.
The girls aged 14 to 18 years it has been charged with mass mobilizations, actions of thuggery and affiliated to the organization.
Seven minors among the group were remanded to juvenile detention until they reach legal age, Al Jazeera reported.
Six men, described by prosecutors as Muslim Brotherhood leaders, were sentenced to 15-year terms, accused of being members of a “terrorist organisation”.
Meanwhile Morning 7 Movement in a statement through official pages on social networking site Facebook calling for Egyptian staged a “intifada” against the military coup.
They expressed arrogance of military regime had crossed line, violate the rights of freedom of speech and tarnished the dignity of law enforcement institutions working for benefit of Egypt since the coup.
They also threaten the ruling authority for holding a rally back bigger on December 12 in all regions of Egypt.
In a news conference also on Wednesday, Hazem el-Beblawi, the interim prime minister, defended a new law requires which citizens to apply for permission before marching as a “necessary step”.
“The cabinet confirms that it will apply the law fully to show its support for the police in the face of terrorism. The law is subject to change, but through the proper channels.”
Protesters opposed to both Morsi and the interim army-backed government meanwhile gathered in downtown Cairo for a rally against the law.
Unexpectedly, the interior ministry announced that it had approved the march, even though organisers denied applying for a permit.
The ministry said the application was submitted by the father of Salah Ahmed Mohamed, known as “Jika”, the first protester killed during deposed Morsi’s tenure.
Wednesday’s rally was only announced in the morning, giving far less than the required period of notice.
The backlash against the law is the latest criticism of Beblawi’s increasingly unpopular government. Even some supporters think it went too far in restricting personal freedoms.
Leaders of Tamarod, the petition campaign that organised the protests that preceded Morsi’s ouster, have criticised the law as too harsh, and several were arrested while protesting against it on Tuesday in the southern city of Aswan. (T/P04/P03)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
