Amnesty brands Egypt 'torture chamber'
Thursday, April 12, 2007 Morning Star, 12 April 2007
Amnesty International branded Egypt a "war on terror torture chamber" on Wednesday as the human rights organisation published a report urging the West to stop doing dodgy deals with the country.
The 52-page Systematic Abuse in the Name of Security report focuses on Cairo's dire record of systematic human rights violations in the context of domestic and international "security," including the war on terror. It exposes Egypt's record on torture and illegal detention and calls on other countries to scrap diplomatic "no torture" deals with the regime.
Amnesty activist Kate Allen said: "Mobile phone footage of torture in Egypt has helped lift the lid on systematic brutality in Egypt's police stations and security service buildings.
"On top of routine torture and decades-long detention without trial in Egyptian 'security' cases, we are now uncovering evidence of Egypt being a destination of choice for 'third party' or contracted-out torture in the war on terror," Ms Allen warned.
"With Egypt effectively operating as a key war on terror torture chamber, it's essential that countries like Britain do not strike deals designed to overlook the dangers of torture if at-risk individuals are forcibly returned to Egypt," she insisted, adding: "A 'no torture' deal with Egypt would not be worth the paper it was written on and, rather than bargain over illegal detention and torture, Britain should unequivocally condemn torture in Egypt."
Amnesty's report calls on the Egyptian authorities to repeal all emergency legislation provisions that allow human rights violations, to end the widespread practice of secret detention, end administrative detention and the routine use of military courts in civilian cases and rigorously safeguard against torture.
And the international community is urged not to seek or accept "diplomatic assurances" of good treatment where there is a risk of torture, ill-treatment, unfair trial or imposition of the death penalty. In 2005, Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif acknowledged that the US had transferred some 60-70 detainees to Egypt since 2001.
One high-profile case concerns Egyptian resident of Italy Abu Omar, who was seized in Milan in 2003 and delivered to Egypt by CIA agents. Mr Omar was held without charge in Egyptian jails for nearly four years. In testimony given to an Italian prosecutor, he has alleged that he was repeatedly tortured.
Last month, Amnesty interviewed Mr Omar and he described suffering "crucifixion," where he was bound to a metal door in a star shape and "kicked and beaten with electric cables, water hoses and whipped," as well as subjected to electric shocks. Mr Omar also testified that he had been sodomised and forced to endure "an unbearable hell" while his abusers tormented him with taunts such as "Let Italy be of benefit now."