Tortured by the Egyptian Police

A few days ago, during a protest in Egypt, the police killed a young man by the name of Mohammed. Mohammed was a human rights activist and had been part of organizations that helped those less fortunate. He went to Cairo and engaged in a protest that would cost him his life. After the attacks, his corpse had been severely wounded, and his tongue remained swollen. His mother declared that his body looked like he ‘had been crushed by a train.’  The Human Rights Minister of Egypt claims that a car accident was the cause of Mohammed’s death during the protest. Nonetheless, the signs on his body show otherwise. The police’s behavior has been compared to that under Mubarak’s regime, and its actions are being questioned.

I believe it is important to study situations like this because, although Mubarak is no longer in power, we can still see trends that took place under his regime. Events like this reflect Human Right crises still happening in Egypt, even after the big revolution. Moreover, they show how the Egyptian police has abused its power and used violence to control citizens and protests.

This event reminds me of Mohammed Bouazizi, and how his tragic death triggered the revolution. At this point, when people are no longer fearful to express their views on the government, I believe that violent actions taken by the police will only lead to a larger upheaval and the deaths of other innocent people. The uncertainty of what happened to Mohammed, and the clear signs that his death was not caused by a car accident, will influence people to, again, mistrust the government, and the police. These events can create tension and result in another revolution.

I believe it is crucial to reinforce the idea that such crimes against human rights are illegal in Egypt, and that the police has no right to beat any citizens that engage in any sort of protests, all the more if these are non-violent. New policies encouraging a balance of powers between the government, the military, and the police should be integrated into the new regime and constitution being shaped for the post-revolution Egypt.

Works Cited: CNN