Members of a committee formed by the government’s National Human Rights Council decided on Monday to meet with individuals who have been detained following the violence that took place over the last week outside the Defense Ministry in Abbasseya, Cairo.
The committee will seek to ensure detainees are treated well, both physically and psychologically, and also to guarantee that they obtain legal assistance and have fair trials.
The council held an urgent meeting on Sunday, which ended with a statement denouncing assaults on the Defense Ministry headquarters as a "dangerous escalation threatening the state of law." It also condemned the killing of eleven people by other civilians, adding that despite evidence identifying the perpetrators, they remain at large.
The same statement said international agreements obligate the Egyptian government to protect peaceful protesters. It asked protesters to abstain from disturbing public order or assaulting private and public property.
The statement that detainees be treated in accordance with international human rights standards. It also demanded the arrest of those who attacked protesters and to immediately release detained students who will have exams soon.
Edited Translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
