Today, Saturday, the International Human Rights Watch called on the Egyptian authorities to commute the death sentences against 12 convicts – including leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood – in the case known in the media as “the dispersal of the Rabaa sit-in”.
This came in a statement by the New York-based non-governmental organization, four days after the highest appeals court in Egypt confirmed the death sentence of 12 people, including Brotherhood leaders, most notably Mohamed El-Beltagy, Abdel-Rahman El-Bar and former minister Osama Yassin. Read also Among them are El-Beltagy and the late Issam El-Arian.. Final sentences of 12 death sentences in the Rabaa Al-Adawiya case Among them are Brotherhood leaders.. The Egyptian Court of Cassation upholds the execution of 12 people Human rights defenders considered it “political and unfair”.. “The Brotherhood” demands a moratorium on executions, and Cairo affirms the independence of its judiciary The first death sentence against opposition leaders in Egypt, pending a presidential pardon or implementation
The Egyptian authorities did not comment on the statement of the international organization, and usually confirm that its judiciary is independent and impartial and does not issue judgments based on political positions or differences.
Human Rights Watch called on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to immediately commute the death sentences handed down to 12 protesters convicted in an unfair mass trial for their participation in a 2013 sit-in.
The statement quoted Joe Stork, deputy director of the organization’s Middle East and North Africa division, as saying, “President al-Sisi should use this opportunity to nullify their execution.”
“In order to move forward, Egypt must immediately halt any further executions,” Stork added, according to the same statement.
According to the law, the death sentence is only executed after ratification by the President of the country, and he is also entitled to issue a pardon or commute the sentence within 14 days of the issuance of the reasons for the final ruling.
And last Monday, the Court of Cassation upheld the death sentence of 12 people, while commuting the sentence against 32 others from death to life imprisonment (25 years), and ruled that the case against the late leader Essam El-Erian, who died in his custody in August 2020, in the case known as “”, be terminated. Rabaa sit-in dispersal.
On August 14, 2013, army and police forces dispersed two sit-ins of supporters of the late President Mohamed Morsi in Rabaa al-Adawiya and al-Nahda squares, rejecting the decision to remove him from office after a year of his rule, according to local reports.
The dispersal resulted in 632 deaths – including 8 policemen – according to the (governmental) National Council for Human Rights in Egypt, while local and international (unofficial) human rights organizations said that the number of victims exceeded this figure.