Languages
Egypt: Bloggers open the door to police brutality debate
By: Sameer Padania
Posted: Dec 9 06
Witnessed: 57336 times
Regions: Egypt
Issues: Detention, Police brutality, Torture
Tags: Cyber-Activism, egypt, Freedom of Speech, impunity, police, police brutality, slapping, torture, wael abbas
Human rights organisations have reported for many years that torture and abuse are rife in Egypt's police stations. But it wasn't until videos emerged showing the nature of these violations that the spotlight truly fell on the conduct of Egypt's police.
For over a year now, bloggers such as Wael Abbas, Demagh Mak and Hossam El-Hamalawy have aimed to strike a blow against police torture by publicising these videos - which were presumed shot by police officers, and show their colleagues beating - and in one case, sodomising - suspects.
Articles in the independent Egyptian press and protests by civil society organisations followed, as did international pressure and scrutiny.
It's videos like this one - originally uploaded to YouTube by Wael Abbas - that appear to be shifting the debate.
At the time, blogger and activist Hossam el-Hamalawy reported that an investigation has been launched into the conduct of the officer shown slapping the suspect in this video, although it later emerged that the officer in question was not suspended from duty.
In the case where police officers sodomised a suspect with a stick, two of the officers involved - as you can see from the links below - received 3-year sentences, but this is still the exception rather than the rule.
Actions
Take action to end systemic torture in Egypt now!
Resources
Related Media
Group police brutality in Egyptian police station
This video shows an incident of police brutality on a group of suspects in an Egyptian police station....
Regions: Egypt
Issues: Police brutality, Torture
Egyptian Police Brutality video
police brutality in Egyptian police station.. Group police brutality in Egyptian police station including slapping on the back of the head and lashing.
Regions: Egypt
Issues: Police brutality, Torture
Egyptian Internet Torture Video Shakes Police Sense of Impunity
This video and text is from LiveLeak. ...
Regions: Egypt
Issues: Impunity, Police brutality, Torture
Police brutality video from Alexandria
Adly Gate series, police brutality inside a police station in Alexandria.
Regions: Egypt
Issues: Police brutality, Torture
Egyptian police cadets training
A glance of Egyptian police cadets training.
Regions: Egypt
Issues: Impunity, Police brutality, Torture
Related Groups
The Office of Justice and Peace (Sekretariat Keadilan dan Perdamaian/ SKP)
SKP stands for Sekretariat Keadilan dan Perdamaian or the Office of Justice and Peace, an integral part of the Catholic Diocese of Jayapura in Papua, Indonesia....
Regions: Indonesia
Issues: Indigenous peoples, Police brutality, Torture
Belarus
Photos, audio, video and comments on latest developments in Belarus.
Regions: Belarus
Issues: Freedom of opinion & expression, Police brutality, Torture
Egyptians against Violations of Human Rights
It is a non-professional group interested in implementing human rights in Egypt. ...
Regions: Egypt, Middle East and Caucasus
Issues: Arbitrary arrest, Justice, Torture
EngageMedia
Our core aims are
* To assist individuals and groups producing thought-provoking and informative media focused on social and environmental issues distribute their work.
...
Issues: Detention, Elections, Freedom of opinion & expression
Morocco Human Rights
All human rights issues could be covered, as far as I am concerned it is Amnesty information based, atleast checkable information....
Comments
hmm interesting
By cs on Apr 4 09
Good video. But bad video quality
journal-daily articles
By journal-daily articles on Mar 16 09
Thanks for the video.
Can I put the video to my site? Please reply to my email.
This is a disturbing but
By pfalzone on Nov 2 07
This is a disturbing but important video showing just how casual police can be in their abuse.
Wow, this is a powerful
By Ethan Kiczek on Sep 29 07
Wow, this is a powerful video.