Egypt military tortures protesters: Human Rights Watch

On Saturday, HRW criticized the SCAF for its failure to protect the protesters from the attacks of the armed groups in a demonstration in Cairo’s Abassiyeh district on May 2, in which 20 people were killed.

On May 4, Military officers arrested at least 350 people, including 10 children and 16 women after they clashed with anti-junta protesters near the Defense Ministry building. At least 256 still remain in detention.

Human Rights Watch interviewed many of those who had been released and they gave consistent accounts of torture and beatings during arrest and in detention.

“The brutal beating of both men and women protesters shows that military officers have no sense of limits on what they can do,” deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch Joe Stork said.

The SCAF took over Egypt after the ouster of former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak in a popular revolution that started in February 2011.

The military rulers, who have reneged on their previous promises of relinquishing power, say they will hand over the rule after the announcement of the results of a presidential election in June.

A first round of the election will be held over two days on May 23 and 24, while a run-off would take place on June 16 and 17 if necessary. Final results are expected on June 21.