A HUMAN RIGHTS group is calling on Egypt’s military leadership to issue an immediate order banning soldiers and police from committing further violence and sexual assault against protesters.
The organisation says the recent videos and photos of Egyptian soldiers beating and stripping protesters are just the latest incidents, and urged Egyptian prosecutor’s office to ensure vigorous investigations of those incidents and prosecute those responsible.
Thousands of women marched through central Cairo on Tuesday to protest recent violence by security forces against women. Some carried images of the ‘blue bra woman’ who was filmed stripped from the waist up and kicked by soldiers as she was dragged along the ground.
One of Egypt’s military rulers, Major General Adel Emar, confirmed that the incident had occurred, but insisted it was an isolated case and would be investigated.
HRW says that Egyptian women’s rights groups have been documenting reports of assaults on women by security forces.
Salma al Naqqash, coordinator of the research group Women Human Rights Defenders, said that women were being physically and verbally abused when arrested for protesting and were threatened with rape and stripped in the street to deter them from demonstrating.
Human Rights Watch’s Nadya Khalife said that “at this crucial stage in Egypt’s history, women need to be able to take part in demonstrations and elections without fear.”
“Security forces’ disgraceful attacks and the government’s broader failure to address sexual violence and harassment do not bode well for Egypt’s women,” she added.
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