The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) released a statement on Tuesday announcing that over 165 Egyptian citizens were killed in the month of July and demanding that the prosecution investigate the police's failure to protect citizens and secure protests.
According to a survey conducted by the human rights organisation, hundreds were also injured in the period from 27 June to 31 July. Deaths and injuries have occurred across 16 governorates, including Cairo, Giza, Qalibuyia, Daqhalia, Sharkia, Assuit, Fayoum, Bani Suef and Port Said.
The survey, published online on Tuesday, revealed that the governorate of Giza recorded the highest number of fatalities, numbering 47 casualties in July. Alexandria and Cairo followed, with 45 and 31 deaths, respectively.
The survey did not include clashes that have taken place between security forces and pro-Morsi protesters, namely the incident outside the Republican Guards club on 8 July and the confrontation at Cairo's Unknown Soldier memorial on 26 July.
"The common factor in all of the violent clashes of the past weeks – whether armed attacks against locals by protesters, violent clashes between opposing sides, or armed attacks against protesters – is that from eyewitness and survivor testimonies, it is clear that police forces disappeared from the scene entirely, or that forces were close to the clashes but did not interfere to save souls or stop violence," said EIPR researcher Karim Anara in the report.
According to the EIPR statement, the general prosecution is currently investigating several cases of violence and murder that took place in the past two months, including the 30 June shooting of protesters outside the Muslim Brotherhoods headquarters in Mokattam and the attacks by pro-Morsi supporters on Giza locals on 2 July and in Alexandria and Al-Manial on 4 July.
The human rights organisation believes that the prosecutor general should extend the investigations to include the criminal responsibility of the police to stop these crimes.
Short link: