Today was the anniversary of the incident that changed the Egyptian society , today Egyptian youth in different governorates commemorated the anniversary of Khaled Said’s murder.
The Young Alexandrian man whose brutal murder was like a wake up call for the Egyptian society months before 28 January. Just like in 2010 the people went in silent stands in squares and major squares holding banners to remind with Khaled as well other young men who are killed and tortured to death.
Khaled Said’s commemoration this year is called “We are all Khaled and they are all Mubarak”.
It is a brilliant name because this is what is happening now in Egypt.
There is no big difference now when it comes to Police brutality. The Mubarak legacy lives on.
Just yesterday another citizen was allegedly tortured till death in some police station in Cairo. A quick low to the human rights violations by the police force in time of President Morsi and you will wonder what kind of revolution we had in Egypt.
In the first 100 days of President Morsi’s rule , Al Nadeem Center published a report stating that more than 30 torture cases in the police stations by policemen where as 11 cases of torture till death were recorded. These were the first hundred days.
In January 2013 , the center documented 16 torture cases and 3 cases of kidnapping and torture of 3 political activists. Of course in January 4 political activists were tortured till death including Mohamed El Gendy May Allah bless his soul.
In March 2013 the center documented 41 torture cases in police stations as during the protests.
In April 2013 Al Nadeem center documented 51 tortures cases where the suspect are the police and the brotherhood. 24 fatalities were documented including 16 cases with firearms.
In May 2013 we got 74 cases of torture in police stations and prisons.
This is the tip of the ice berg , this is just one human rights center in Egypt.
Of course this is besides the big irony that up till now we can not get back the right of Khaled Said through the courts and law. Oh yes the court has accepted the appeal of Khaled’s murderers who were actually convicted of manslaughter. Not only the court accepted the appeal but it released them pending the case. They are now in their homes.
The thing is that after 3 years from Khaled’s murder and after 2 years of a revolution that started originally as a protest against Police brutality , people are still dying because of torture in Egypt.
It is good to remind the people in Egypt with the brutality of the Mubarak’s regime and his police state especially there is some sick nostalgia for some to these days.“ You know Mubarak kept the Islamists in chains behind bars feeling you read in the comments in Egyptian social Media”
Parties like Constitution Party and Strong Egypt Party called their members and the public to participate in the stand. The revolutionary socialists and Popular current also participated along other revolutionary movements.
It is a déjà vu but we got new comers from parties joining Khalid's stand, black clothes and protests at security directorates and squares in cities like Alexandria, Cairo, Ismailia, Damietta and Assuit.
Khaled’s photo was not alone as he had a big company of martyrs who left us in the past two years. Just like Khaled , we failed to restore back their rights.
The family of late army solider Mokhtar Essam Mokhtar who went missing near the borders and was found dead in the desert , killed to be accurate was also there trying to find justice for their son.
What we wanted in this revolution , the state of law and torture is not part of the law. Of course I will not fool myself , I know that we will reach to this state of law when there is a political will for this. The 25 January will achieve one of its true goals when the ruling regime abandons the police state mentality and the police force becomes the servant of the public for real.
The Young Alexandrian man whose brutal murder was like a wake up call for the Egyptian society months before 28 January. Just like in 2010 the people went in silent stands in squares and major squares holding banners to remind with Khaled as well other young men who are killed and tortured to death.
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| The silent stand at Kasr Al Nil bridge |
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| Khaled and his brothers(R) and Mubarak and his brothers (L) |
There is no big difference now when it comes to Police brutality. The Mubarak legacy lives on.
Just yesterday another citizen was allegedly tortured till death in some police station in Cairo. A quick low to the human rights violations by the police force in time of President Morsi and you will wonder what kind of revolution we had in Egypt.
In the first 100 days of President Morsi’s rule , Al Nadeem Center published a report stating that more than 30 torture cases in the police stations by policemen where as 11 cases of torture till death were recorded. These were the first hundred days.
In January 2013 , the center documented 16 torture cases and 3 cases of kidnapping and torture of 3 political activists. Of course in January 4 political activists were tortured till death including Mohamed El Gendy May Allah bless his soul.
In March 2013 the center documented 41 torture cases in police stations as during the protests.
In April 2013 Al Nadeem center documented 51 tortures cases where the suspect are the police and the brotherhood. 24 fatalities were documented including 16 cases with firearms.
In May 2013 we got 74 cases of torture in police stations and prisons.
This is the tip of the ice berg , this is just one human rights center in Egypt.
Of course this is besides the big irony that up till now we can not get back the right of Khaled Said through the courts and law. Oh yes the court has accepted the appeal of Khaled’s murderers who were actually convicted of manslaughter. Not only the court accepted the appeal but it released them pending the case. They are now in their homes.
The thing is that after 3 years from Khaled’s murder and after 2 years of a revolution that started originally as a protest against Police brutality , people are still dying because of torture in Egypt.
It is good to remind the people in Egypt with the brutality of the Mubarak’s regime and his police state especially there is some sick nostalgia for some to these days.“ You know Mubarak kept the Islamists in chains behind bars feeling you read in the comments in Egyptian social Media”
Parties like Constitution Party and Strong Egypt Party called their members and the public to participate in the stand. The revolutionary socialists and Popular current also participated along other revolutionary movements.
It is a déjà vu but we got new comers from parties joining Khalid's stand, black clothes and protests at security directorates and squares in cities like Alexandria, Cairo, Ismailia, Damietta and Assuit.
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| In Assuit |
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| In Cairo , Sheikh Emad Effat was there |
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| In Alexandria |
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| In Damietta |
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| Khaled , Mohamed El Gundy and Jika |
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| Moktar , an army solider killed last week in Salloum in strange circumstances |
What we wanted in this revolution , the state of law and torture is not part of the law. Of course I will not fool myself , I know that we will reach to this state of law when there is a political will for this. The 25 January will achieve one of its true goals when the ruling regime abandons the police state mentality and the police force becomes the servant of the public for real.
Zeinobia: usually it is people like Khalid Said and Mina Daniel that change the way we human beings live and it is usually for the better. Yes we should always remember them and celebrate their very short lives.
ReplyDeleteIt is really sad that the justice system in Egypt does not work and that the criminals that killed both of them got away with it and no Egyptian seem to care
Mobarak and Morsi? they are the losers and they will always be losers
Khlaid and Mina: May you rest in peace and you will always be in our hearts
good media coverage,keep it up
ReplyDelete