Inside Egypt: Reports on the detention and torture of political activist

international | rights, freedoms and repression | feature Friday March 18, 2011 20:02 by Soundmigration

An interview with Nazly Hussien

Tarhrii Square, Egypt

Nazly Hussein speaks from outside the military courts which this afternoon (Friday 12th March) was supposed to address the people the army harrassed and arrested last Wednesday during a brutal attack on those occupying Tahrir Square. Nazly describes how several hundred plain clothes thugs was deployed against people in the square on Wednesday, who set about pulling down tents and beating people up. The army, under the pretence of ‘protecting’ those remaining in the Tahrir then began beating, arresting and electrocuting people within the the pro democracy movement. Over 170 people where arrested, most of whom where later released without charge. Many had been beaten and tortured with electrocution.

An interview with Nazly Hussien:

Interview with Nazly Hussien 27.6 Mb

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Ongoing protests in Dublin in solidarity with the Egyptian people

Nazly Hussein speaks from outside the military courts which this afternoon (Friday 12th March) was supposed to address the people the army harrassed and arrested last Wednesday during a brutal attack on those occupying Tahrir Square. Nazly describes how several hundred plain clothes thugs was deployed against people in the square on Wednesday, who set about pulling down tents and beating people up. The army, under the pretence of ‘protecting’ those remaining in the Tahrir then began beating, arresting and electrocuting people within the the pro democracy movement. Over 170 people where arrested, most of whom where later released without charge. Many had been beaten and tortured with electrocution.

As people remaining in Tahrir Square demand the complete dismantlement of the security apparatus that played such a strong role in supporting Mubarak’s rule, the military has begun to charge people via a military court, with little or no legal support or mechanisms for defendants. The military is acting without the slightest concern for basic human rights, and it seems obvious that these are the actions of a regime that feels the need to demonise, criminalise and isolate the pro democracy activists at the center of Egypts popular revolution. Some people are openly talking about a strategic counterrevolution

Despite the resignation of Mubarak, it is clear that the State security apparatus is able to act with impunity against the population. There has been clear video evidence of army brutality against those demanding the end of the militarys grip upon wider society. This linked video show the injuries of Ramy Essam, a singer who has been in Tahrir square for some time. So obvious was the beatings that the army announced an apology for its violence and announce all would be released without charge.

Below is another interview by Soundmigration with Mohamed Abdelfattah, in Alexandria

Inside Egypt : An Interview with Mohamed Abdelfattah, Alexandria