Egypt

Former interior minister ordered shooting of demonstrators

A report by the official fact-finding committee into the events of the 25 January revolution, which was released on Tuesday, revealed that former Egyptian Interior Minister Habib al-Adly ordered the firing of live rounds at demonstrators during the revolution.

The report also accused prominent members of the former ruling National Democratic Party and certain businessmen of planning the attack on the demonstrators on 2 February in Tahrir Square, in which dozens were injured and killed.

The committee also found that the police fired rubber bullets, shotgun shells and live ammunition at the demonstrators, while snipers shot at them from the rooftops of the buildings overlooking the square, including the Interior Ministry building, the Nile Hilton Hotel and the American University.

According to the committee, mobile phone networks and the internet were cut off, and satellite channels interfered with, so as to block news about the demonstrations and prevent demonstrators from coordinating more protests.

Committee president Omar Marwan said security leaders met with representatives of the mobile phone companies to cut off services.

“Egypt was the first country in the world to cut off telecommunication services in this way," he said.

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