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Rights Group Calls for Ceasing Military Trials of Civilians

Sawaseya Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Center has expressed its solidarity with 49 Egyptians from Mahallah al-Kubra city who were detained in the awake of April 6 strike and were trialed Sunday before Tanta Higher State Security Court.

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Sawaseya Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Center has expressed its solidarity with 49 Egyptians from Mahallah al-Kubra city who were detained in the awake of April 6 strike and were trialed Sunday before Tanta Higher State Security Court.

 

Sawaseya expressed its resentment at trialing civilians before extraordinary courts without the right to appeal, and providing an easy atmosphere for the executive authority to apply the emergency law.

 

This is against articles 165 and 173 of the constitution as well as article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the center stated.

 

The center reported that more than half of those referred to the emergency court were ordered release by normal civil courts. Scores of them suffered from administrative arrest warrants although their charges were previously dropped. They are usually charged with arbitrary charges such as destruction of facilities, possessing weapons, and assaulting policemen.

 

The center called for the immediate release of those receiving acquittal orders from the natural judiciary, cessation of all exceptional courts, respect of the right of peaceful assembly, citing article 21 of the ICCPR that ensures everyone"s right to peaceful rallies.

 

Amnesty International has also called on the Egyptian authorities to halt the military tribunals against civilians, condemning the referral of MB second deputy chairman Khairat El Shater and other MB leaders to a military tribunal. It also called for respecting the rulings of civil courts.