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File photo Shutterstock/anucha maneechote

Hundreds of adults and children 'disappeared and tortured by Egyptian authorities'

A new report shows that hundreds of students, political activists and protesters have vanished.

EGYPT’S NATIONAL SECURITY Agency (NSA) is abducting, torturing and forcibly disappearing people in an effort to intimidate opponents and wipe out peaceful dissent, according to a new Amnesty International report.

Egypt: Officially, you do not exist: Disappeared and tortured in the name of counter-terrorism highlights a spike in enforced disappearances since early 2015.

The report shows a trend which has seen hundreds of students, political activists and protesters, including children as young as 14, vanish without trace.

On average, three to four people per day are seized according to local NGOs, usually when heavily-armed security forces led by NSA officers storm their homes.

Amnesty said many of these people are held for months at a time and often kept blindfolded and handcuffed for the entire period.

Colm O’Gorman, executive director of Amnesty International Ireland, said the report “reveals the shocking and ruthless tactics that the Egyptian authorities are prepared to employ in their efforts to terrify protesters and dissidents into silence.

Enforced disappearance has become a key instrument of state policy in Egypt. Anyone who dares to speak out is at risk, with counter-terrorism being used as an excuse to abduct, interrogate and torture people who challenge the authorities.

“The Egyptian authorities have repeatedly denied that enforced disappearances exist in the country, but the cases featured in this report provide strong evidence to the contrary,” O’Gorman said.

The report features details of 17 people subjected to enforced disappearance, who were held for periods ranging from several days to seven months.

Amnesty said these people were “cut off from the outside world and denied access to their lawyers, families or any independent judicial oversight”, as well as many being tortured – including children.

‘Horrendous abuse’

The report states that Mazen Mohamed Abdallah was subjected to enforced disappearance in September 2015, when he was just 14. He “suffered horrendous abuse including being repeatedly raped with a wooden stick in order to extract a false confession”.

The report continues:

Aser Mohamed, who was also 14 at the time of his arrest, was beaten, given electric shocks all over his body and suspended from his limbs in order to extract a false confession when he was forcibly disappeared for 34 days in January 2016.

Amnesty said he was eventually brought before a state security prosecutor who warned him that he would face further electric shocks when he tried to retract his ‘confessions’.

The two boys are among five children forcibly disappeared for up to 50 days whose cases are documented in the report. In some situations, even after the child’s release was ordered by the public prosecutor, the report states that security forces would subject them to enforced disappearance for a second time before bringing fresh charges against them.

hosni Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Amr Nabil / AP/Press Association Images Amr Nabil / AP/Press Association Images / AP/Press Association Images

In other cases, family members were arrested in order to pressure the principal target into giving a forced confession.

In July 2015, Atef Farag was arrested alongside his 22-year-old son, Yehia. Their family believe Atef was arrested for participating in a sit-in and his son, who has a disability, was arrested to pressure him to ‘confess’ to serious offences. Both were held for 159 days and now have been charged with belonging to the banned Muslim Brotherhood.

The report notes that there has been a spike in the use of enforced disappearances in Egypt since Magdy Abd el-Ghaffar was appointed Minister of Interior in March 2015.

He previously served in the State Security Investigations (SSI), the secret police force known for human rights violations under former president Hosni Mubarak’s rule, which was dismantled after the 2011 uprising and renamed as the NSA.

Trade links 

O’Gorman said Egypt is “regarded by many Western powers as a key counter-terrorism partner in the region and many states have used this justification to supply Egypt with arms and related equipment despite evidence of its use to commit serious human rights violations”.

He noted that many countries “continue to maintain close diplomatic, trade and other ties with the country without prioritising human rights”.

O’Gorman called on all states, particularly EU member states and the USA, to “use their influence to pressure Egypt to end these appalling violations, which are being committed under the false pretext of security and counter-terrorism”.

“Instead of continuing to blindly supply security and police equipment to Egypt they should cease all transfers of arms and equipment that have been used to commit serious human rights violations in Egypt until effective safeguards against misuse are established, thorough and independent investigations are conducted and those responsible are brought to justice,” he added.

Read: Hillary Clinton now has Bernie Sanders (and Snapchat) behind her campaign

Read: What will Theresa May as British Prime Minister mean for Ireland?

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22 Comments
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    Mute Gordon Hughes
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    Jan 5th 2020, 9:04 AM

    Best way to dispose of a Christmas tree is to bring it out your back garden and launch it in your neighbours garden, then act like you know nothing about it if they say anything, this is also a green eco friendly way too as you don’t need to drive anywhere in your car …. Your welcome

    424
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    Mute Fergal O'Hagan
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    Jan 5th 2020, 10:20 AM

    @Gordon Hughes: *YOU’RE

    85
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    Mute Gordon Hughes
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    Jan 5th 2020, 11:16 AM

    @Fergal O’Hagan: you’re boring…. See I learn quickly

    141
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    Mute Fergal O'Hagan
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    Jan 5th 2020, 11:50 AM

    @Gordon Hughes: you are welcome!

    15
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    Mute Gordon Hughes
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    Jan 5th 2020, 4:50 PM

    @Fergal O’Hagan: you are still drab.. I’m flying now

    12
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    Mute Sean Ryan
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    Jan 5th 2020, 9:29 AM

    My local secondary school offers collection and disposal for €10. The boys collect it and the profit goes towards the school football club.

    158
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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Jan 5th 2020, 10:31 AM

    @Sean Ryan: Best to let it completely dry out first…

    6
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    Mute Vladimir Macro
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    Jan 5th 2020, 10:37 AM

    @Sean Ryan: scandalous

    6
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    Mute Wheresmyjumper
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    Jan 5th 2020, 9:17 AM

    I’m throwing mine over the back wall and letting nature take care of it, it’s a tree i reckon driving it to the council drop off would have more of a negative impact on the environment

    98
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    Mute Gordon Hughes
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    Jan 5th 2020, 11:21 AM

    @Wheresmyjumper: I said that already

    22
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    Mute Tim McCormack29
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    Jan 5th 2020, 8:06 AM

    I am going cut it up and burn it in my stove..

    231
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    Mute dublindamo
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    Jan 5th 2020, 9:32 AM

    @Tim McCormack29: didn’t think this type of green tree was good for a stove

    38
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    Mute Gussy Hughes
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    Jan 5th 2020, 10:03 AM

    @dublindamo: Ah damo, it’s only once a year. Everything in moderation!

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    Mute Whoswho
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    Jan 5th 2020, 3:26 PM

    @Gussy Hughes: Who answers all these polls? Get a life!

    1
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    Mute Brendan Doherty
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    Jan 5th 2020, 10:08 AM

    Mine is recycled in the attic ready for next year no harm to the environment at all

    51
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    Mute Marie Louise Ryan
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    Jan 5th 2020, 11:43 AM

    @Brendan Doherty: only its made of plastic

    25
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    Mute Chris lynch
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    Jan 5th 2020, 11:47 AM

    @Marie Louise Ryan: a plastic one is environmentally neutral if you keep it for about 10 years. Wasn’t there an article here about that recently?

    56
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    Mute Colm Curran
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    Jan 5th 2020, 9:52 AM

    I’ll treecycle mine I’ll get my coat

    40
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    Mute Shane Freeney
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    Jan 5th 2020, 9:40 AM

    My Goats are loving it they will be munching for days

    33
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    Mute Aonghus OReilly
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    Jan 5th 2020, 11:47 AM

    @Shane Freeney: You said goatmunching.

    13
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    Mute Eugene Comaskey
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    Jan 5th 2020, 10:29 AM

    Trees melt away after they are felled if left alone , just throw it at the back of the ditch.

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    Mute Liam Mc Meel
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    Jan 5th 2020, 8:07 AM

    No

    20
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    Mute Misty Eyed Mutton
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    Jan 5th 2020, 4:09 PM

    One of my footmen is towing the 60 footer as I type.

    14
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    Mute Datalore
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    Jan 5th 2020, 9:54 PM

    Bound mine in a few black refuse sacks and brought it to Corkagh Park. Looks like a body bag

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    Mute Anthony Mc Donald
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    Jan 5th 2020, 3:50 PM

    I don’t buy fresh Xmas trees have my personal reasons as in environmentally

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    Mute Morning Gus
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    Jan 5th 2020, 10:15 PM

    Why do you want to know this?

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    Mute Garykelly
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    Jan 5th 2020, 10:25 PM

    Yeah we heard you the first time chief

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    Mute Rory M
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    Jan 5th 2020, 11:56 AM

    There is lots of drop of points for old real xmas trees and its usually designated to the corner of a field The Council , corporation , fingal etc all are involved and the shredded trees get re used in the gardening sector , so it makes sense to look up your local authority NO MATTER whether your on Southside, Northside or any part of dublin .
    USE AND RECYCLE

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    Mute Datalore
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    Jan 5th 2020, 9:54 PM

    Bound mine in a few black refuse sacks and brought it to Corkagh Park. Looks like a body bag

    1
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    Mute Datalore
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    Jan 5th 2020, 9:54 PM

    Bound mine in a few black refuse sacks and brought it to Corkagh Park

    1
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    Mute Morning Gus
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    Jan 5th 2020, 11:07 PM

    @Datalore: Come again!!!

    6
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