Solidarity against repression in Egypt

Mass death sentences handed down by a court in Egypt’s Minya province to 529 alleged supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood were reached in a trial which lasted only three days without hearing a case for the defence.
 
According to Ahram Online, defence lawyers’ request for a new panel of judges after raising concerns of bias were rejected by the court. The defendants were accused of murder of a police officer during violent protests which led to the storming of Matay police station in the aftermath of the crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood supporters in mass sit-ins in Cairo on 14 August 2013.
 
Human rights activists in Egypt and internationally condemned the verdict. Gamal Eid, director of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, said it was “a disaster” and “a scandal” for Egypt.
 
Amnesty International called the verdict “grotesque” and added in a statement: “Egypt’s courts are quick to punish Mohamed Morsi’s supporters but ignore gross human rights violations by the security forces. While thousands of Morsi’s supporters languish in jail, there has not been an adequate investigation into the deaths of hundreds of protesters. Just one police officer is facing a prison sentence, for the deaths of 37 detainees.”
 
What you can do:

• Add your name to our statement condemning the verdicts here
• Send individual protests to the Egyptian authorities in your country calling for the sentences to be overturned, for fair trials for all accused and an end to the repression of protests.

Sign our founding statement and join our campaign.
 
This is republished from Egypt Solidarity Iniative