Observers to Protect the Revolution: Police Tortures Peaceful Protest Detainees

 In a statement from ‘Observers to Protect the Revolution’ (OPR), the coalition strongly condemned torture suffered by dozens of supporters of President Mohamed Morsi, who were arrested in Shubra Police Department, and were abused in contravention of the law and the Egyptian Constitution as well as all norms and international covenants on human rights.

The security apparatus arrested more than 650 Egyptian citizens, supporters of President Morsi, over the past two days, and took them to several police stations in the Egyptian capital Cairo, where they were interrogated.

This is contrary to investigation procedures, where detainees must be investigated in the Public Prosecution offices, away from police stations.

The OPR statement further said that in Shubra Police Department alone, 25 citizens were beaten, but in a professional manner that leaves no signs or marks of torture, so victims cannot report torture to the prosecution during the investigation.

In its statement, the OPR said: "Within one week, we went back to the pre-revolution era, where citizens suffered flagrant violations of human rights, including arbitrary arrests and detention as well as torture.

"Torture and violations of the law are legal, constitutional and moral crimes that can have tremendous negative impacts on national security and peace, especially since these detainees have not committed any crimes, but were simply exercising their legitimate right to peaceful expression of opinion.

"These violations and crimes are now repeated systematically, every day, and in the full glare of the media, as civil society organizations turn a blind eye, which encourages security agencies in Egypt to continue their violations with impunity."