Egypt: Mubarak's speech ignores human rights crisis
(New York, February 10, 2011) - Speech by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to the Nation February 10, 2011, has no human rights crisis fueling popular protests address, Human Rights Watch said today. international partners in Egypt, including the United States and Europe Union, should make clear that continued support for the forces of Egypt's security depends on rapid progress towards full respect for human rights, man and a democratic transition.
In a televised address to the nation on February 10, Mubarak suggested he does not delegate more powers to the vice-president, but has not announced any changes that would enable a genuine democratic transition. He referred vaguely to possible reforms of various punitive articles of the Constitution, including parts which have anti-terrorism powers and influence of the emergency regulations in place since 1981, and another that limits serious candidates for the presidency.
"Mubarak's speech is far from the necessary break with the past abuse of the system 30 years," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "Cosmetic changes are not enough for the Egyptian people for democracy and human rights requirements. The U.S. and EU governments should use their influence and support for real reform to encourage compliance. "
A group of protesters in Tahrir Square, responded to the speech by threatening to March on government buildings. Human Rights Watch urged security forces to exercise restraint in the face of legitimate protest and warned that police and soldiers could be prosecuted if they open fire on demonstrators without justification or give orders to do so.
Human Rights Watch said that Egyptian authorities have a number of concrete measures to the human rights crisis in Egypt to take. These include:
* Lifting the decades-old state of emergency and repeal of laws that give broad powers theInterior Department to arrest and detain and restrict rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly;
* Create a real and legitimate process of democratic transition, whatever the current government, legal and constitutional changes necessary to free, fair and comprehensive and
* End attacks government sponsored or tolerated, arbitrary detention and torture and other ill-treatment, and credible investigations into serious violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.
Human Rights Watch urged the United States, the EU Member States and other countries that are allies of the government of Mubarak the Egyptian authorities to urgently release.
Human Rights Watch said that the Egyptian army, long an integral part of the government, a major player in creating and defending the repressive system currently in Egypt. The Egyptian army will play an important role in the preparation of future elections. Key decision makers have a number of people from security services, as Vice-President Omar Suleiman, himself a former officer and until January 29, 2011, the head of Egyptian General Intelligence Service, Field-Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Minister of Defence and Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik, former Chief of the Air Force. Mubarak himself was the head of the Air Force for President Anwar el-Sadat, then appointed him vice president.
The U.S. $ 1.3 billion a year in military aid to Egypt, in addition to other forms of assistance. In the early days of pro-democracy demonstrations in Egypt, U.S. officials in the Obama administration and some senators said the U.S. was the "posture of aid" to Egypt revised in light of the behavior of the Egyptian government.
Human Rights Watch said that the leaders of Egypt, including Suleiman, as called for resistance to meaningful reform.
"Vice-President Suleiman has held has denied the most basic reforms such as repeal of the emergency, and instead requested that the Egyptians were" not ready for democracy, "said Roth." It is not enough for the Egyptian government's promise to amend the Constitution, they must dismantle the system behind the dictatorship. "
