Rights Group to Prosecute Those Found Responsible for Attacks on Protesters

The Paris-based Arab Commission for Human Rights on Wednesday dispatched a fact-finding committee to Cairo to investigate police violence used against protesters demanding the resignation of Egyptian ex-president Hosni Mubarak, in a prelude to the sought-after prosecution of those found to have been involved.

 

 “We are following what is happening in Egypt as we followed what happened in Tunisia, where we were able to prosecute perpetrators of crimes and corruption,” said committee spokesman, Nasr Ghazaly. “We’re coordinating with Egyptian human rights organizations in this matter.”

 

“As a part of the United Nations, the committee will file lawsuits before European courts against the perpetrators of violent crimes, such as the use of live ammunition to kill demonstrators and tear gas to suppress peaceful demonstrations,” he added, pointing out that the perpetrators would be pursued by Interpol if they attempted to flee abroad.

 

Ghazaly noted that the committee would hold a press conference in one month at the High Commission for Human Rights to reveal its findings, adding that judicial proceedings before the competent European courts would start shortly thereafter.

 

Khaled Ali, director of the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights, said that «Egyptian human rights organizations are preparing lists of names and the wealth of some businessmen guilty of looting public money», in a scenario he described as similar to what happened in Tunisia as the banks froze assets of 14 Tunisian businessmen.

 

We are currently intending to file a lawsuit before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Belgium demanding EU to freeze the assets of those included in such lists.