People killed during attacks on police stations in the 25 January revolution were "thugs" and not martyrs, Egyptian Interior Minister Mansour al-Essawy said in an interview on Sunday.
"Posing murder charges against police officers defending their workplace against the attacks had a negative impact on workers in the police establishment," the minister said in an interview with Dream, a private satellite channel.
"An officer killing protesters is a murderer and has to be prosecuted and executed, but another one defending the police department of which he is in charge is something different," Essawy said. "Those killed in front of police stations where thugs, not martyrs."
Several police stations nationwide were attacked, vandalized and torched during the uprising that forced former president Hosni Mubarak to step down in February.
In press statements in April, the minister had said people killed during attempts to invade police stations were trying to steal weapons and free prisoners with the aim of destabilizing security in favor of the now-disbanded National Democratic Party.
In the interview, Essawy said there was no justification for the use of force against peaceful protesters demanding political reform.
The minister said security authorities have recently decided not to interfere in Tahrir Square except by securing the surrounding areas. He said a number of police agents and crime scene investigators were present on top of buildings during protests staged last Friday to make sure the demonstrations were not infilitrated by thugs.
“Before the revolution, the ministry’s utmost concern was to secure the regime of Mubarak, but that does not mean all of the ministry’s staff are Habib al-Adly’s men," said Essawy, referring to the now-detained former interior minister, who faces charges of ordering the murder of protesters.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
