Country Watch
rak was ousted, following demands by protestors in the 2011 uprising.
A state of emergency was reintroduced by for- mer president Mohamed Morsi in January 2013 for one month, in an effort to curb unrest. The Egyptian military ousted Morsi on July 3, and Egypt has been gripped with political turmoil since. The military subsequently suspended Egypt’s constitution and installed an interim gov- ernment. Days after Morsi’s ousting, Egyptian authorities shut down four Islamist-run television stations. Adly Mansour, then the Chairman of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt became interim head of state the same day Morsi was deposed.
The state of emergency was brought back on August 14 for one month by Interim President Mansour amid violent clashes in Cairo between protestors and police after Morsi was ousted. With these greater powers, police dispersed two protest encampments, resulting in 275 deaths and 2,000 injuries. A thousand more were killed in subsequent violent protests attended by sup- porters of ousted president Morsi and the Mus- lim Brotherhood.
The army-backed government has accused the Muslim Brotherhood of inciting violence. Militant attacks against security forces have increased since Morsi was overthrown. More than 100 po- licemen have been killed since Morsi was ousted, at least 43 churches have been attacked, and over 200 Coptic properties have been damaged. In re- sponse, security forces have been cracking down on Morsi supporters, including the Muslim Broth- erhood. It has cracked down on Muslim Brother- hood protests in Cairo, imprisoning its top lead- ers and killing hundreds of its members. Security officials reported arresting at least 2,000 Muslim Brotherhood members and other Islamists in the first month of the state of emergency.
Amnesty International reports that around 3,000 people were arrested in the first month. It has
documented cases where those arrested were denied prompt access to legal counsel or their families. Although around 600 have been re- leased, those that remain are subjected to aw- ful prison conditions. Some have been made to sleep on concrete floors, denied light, or denied human contact.
On September 12, 2013, Mansour’s office an- nounced that it would extend the state of emer- gency covering the entire country for an addi- tional two months, until mid-November, due to security concerns, citing “an increasingly tense situation.” Under the guise of fighting a war on terrorism, the interim government sent military troops and tanks into city streets. The extension of the state of emergency came after suicide bombings protesting Egypt’s raid of suspected al Qaeda hideouts. Two suicide bombers drove a car with explosives into military targets in Sinai and killed nine soldiers. The announcement also followed an assassination attempt on interior minister Mohammed Ibrahim, who is in charge of the police. A suicide bomber in an explosive- laden car targeted Ibrahim’s convoy in Cairo.
Many critics believe the government’s real inten- tions with the state of emergency and curfew lie with a desire for oppression and abuse, citing methods of dealing with the rising violence un- der existing laws. With these developments, the renewed state of emergency looks like a return to the repressive and abusive tactics observed under Mubarak’s rule.
* Submitted by Pinky Mehta
United States Signs United Nations Arms Trade Treaty
On April 2, 2013, the United Nations General As- sembly adopted the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). This treaty regulates the international trade of conven- tional arms, from small arms to battle tanks, com- bat aircraft, and warships. The goal of the treaty is
ILSA Quarterly » volume 22 » issue 2 » December 2013
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