Yesterday a joint meeting of the human rights committee and the national security committee in the People’s Assembly escalated into a verbal shouting match between delegates from the NDP and the Muslim Brotherhood. The altercation, which almost became physical, occurred during discussion of 12 information requests submitted by the Brotherhood in which they accused police officers of breaking into houses and violating the sanctity of women.
Yehia el-Masiri, a Brotherhood delegate in the People’s Assembly, accused a state security investigations officer in Mahalla of stealing gold from a woman while she was being arrested. He was interrupted by Hazim el-Hadidi, a delegate from the NDP and former state security officer, who responded, "What you are saying is ludicrous. Shame on you for saying this."
Similarly, Hamid Rashid, manager of legal affairs for the Interior Ministry also objected to the Brotherhood’s accusations, insisting that, "Occupation forces break into houses, whereas the police are a state apparatus that enters houses in the framework of law enforcement, and only when necessary. Whoever has evidence against police officers should present it to the courts."
The conflict escalated when Ashraf Badr el-Din, a delegate from the Brotherhood replied to Rashid, insisting, "Whoever dies without judicial review is a martyr. We will implement God’s law." Another Brotherhood delegate Badry Amer added, "We demand rapid political intervention to stop these excesses. Some incidents are hard to prove to state prosecution, such as when officers sexually violate the women they are arresting."
The NDP delegate Mohamed Abdel Fatah ended the argument when he yelled, "You are murderers," to the Brotherhood delegates, who then stormed out of the room.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
