Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Saturday called on Egyptian authorities to protect the right to peaceful protest, one day after rare demonstrations erupted against Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.
Hundreds of protesters demonstrated in central Cairo and several cities on Friday against al-Sisi, a former army general who came in power in 2014 after ousting democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi a year earlier.
The protests came in response to calls for al-Sisi to step down by Mohamed Ali, a former army contractor, who accused al-Sisi and the military of corruption.
Local media said dozens of demonstrators were rounded up by Egyptian security forces during a protest in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday.
“President al-Sisi’s security agencies have time and again used brutal force to crush peaceful protests,� said Michael Page, Middle East and North Africa deputy director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should recognize that the world is watching and take all necessary steps to avoid a repetition of past atrocities.�
The New York-based rights group went on to call on the Egyptian president to “direct the state security forces to abide by international standards for law enforcement during demonstrations�.
Since Morsi’s overthrow, the Egyptian authorities launched a relentless crackdown on dissent, killing hundreds and arresting thousands.
Anadolu Agency