Highlights from Egypt, Dec 6 2012 (Part 3)

[Catherina]

Part 2, "Highlights from Egypt, Dec 6 2012 (Part 2)", here http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021937564


Sara سارة ?@SazzleUk

Tomorrow could be a crunch day in #Egypt @ElBaradei calls for mass marches after #Morsi "closed all doors" & "lost legitimacy"


Reem Abdellatif ريم ?@Reem_Abdellatif

@ElBaradei's tone intensifies: #Morsi closed all doors for negotiations, lost all legitimacy, mass marches tomorrow


magdi abdelhadi ?@maegdi

ElBaradei speaking on behalf of opposition rejects Mursi's dialogue #egypt

[Catherina]

1. **21 Egyptian rights orgs: Morsi must take urgent steps to prevent Egypt from sliding into civil war

Andy Carvin ?@acarvin

21 Egyptian rights orgs: Morsi must take urgent steps to prevent Egypt from sliding into civil war http://bit.ly/11N6VNO

Press release posted in its entirety

President must take urgent steps to prevent Egypt from sliding into civil war
December 6, 2012. | Statements and Position Papers

The undersigned Egyptian human rights organizations express their grave concern regarding the recent developments that are rapidly pushing Egypt toward the brink of civil war, the first signs of which were seen in the street battles and exchanges of violence which occurred yesterday in the area surrounding the presidential palace in Cairo and in a number of other governorates. These developments took place when the Muslim Brotherhood incited its supporters to attack the demonstrators who were conducting a peaceful sit-in in front of the presidential palace to express their rejection of the constitutional declaration issued on November 22, 2012 and the presidential decree calling for a referendum on the draft of the new constitution to be held in mid-December.

The Muslim Brotherhood and its leaders began calling on supporters to confront the opposition in front of the presidential palace before the abovementioned events by at least a full day. Therefore, it was expected that the Egyptian president and the relevant security authorities would undertake the necessary measures to prevent the crisis that occurred yesterday and to protect Egyptian lives and property. However, the president and the security authorities kept total silence. The state’s institutions and officials were completely absent, thus allowing space for the use of violence as a means of political retaliation.

The events of yesterday demand a serious investigation into the circumstances and causes behind what happened. The primary responsibility of the investigating bodies should be orienting senior state officials to weed out the motives behind leaving matters until they deteriorated, which is what led to the occurrence of the tragedy. However, the limiting of investigations by the investigating bodies to only a few of those who were detained during the events entrenches a policy of impunity and blatantly fails to acknowledge the gravity of the crisis, which was premeditated for in advance openly and publicly.

There were both a political and legal responsibility during these events to protect citizens’ lives and property, and senior government officials are those who bear this primary responsibility. The investigating bodies must also identify the sources of the firearms which were used yesterday as well as how these weapons were used within sight and sound of the security forces which were present in the area surrounding the presidential palace.

The undersigned organizations assert that the precursors of possible civil war currently witnessed by the country are the logical outcomes of decisions and policies that have completely disregarded channels of dialogue with Egyptian society. As a result, the door was left open to the use of violence to resolve political matters regarding the progress of the country, as the political means to do so through dialogue and negotiation were not available, particularly when it came to the process of drafting a constitution representing the views of different segments of society in a balanced way, rather than representing one dominant group or specific political faction.

The undersigned organizations affirm that the president must immediately shoulder his responsibility to preclude the risks that threaten to provoke civil strife in Egypt by taking immediate measures to create an environment of national dialogue in order to move the country safely through this critical juncture. These measures must include:

The opening of investigations regarding the political and legal responsibility for the tragic events which occurred yesterday in the area surrounding the presidential palace;
The repeal of the constitutional declaration issued by the president on 22 November, 2012;
The immediate end to all measures related to the referendum on the draft of the new constitution, including the voting by Egyptians residing abroad, which is scheduled to begin on 8 December, 2012;
The formation of a new constituent assembly to draft a constitution, ensuring an equitable balance of all segments of society, and including strong representation of experts of constitutional law and human rights.

Signatories



1. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

2. Arab Program for Human Rights Activists

3. Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement

4. Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners

5. Center for Trade Union and Workers’ Services

6. Arabic Network for Human Rights Information

7. New Woman Foundation

8. Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression

9. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights

10. Human Rights Legal Aid Group

11. Land Center for Human Rights

12. Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights

13. Andalus institute for Tolerance and Anti-Violence Studies

14. Habi Center for Environmental Rights

15. Hisham Mubarak Law Center

16. Appropriate Communications Techniques for Development

17. Egyptians Against Religious Discrimination

18. Arab Penal Reform Organization

19. Egyptian Organization for Human Rights

20. Nazra for Feminist Studies

21. Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights

http://www.cihrs.org/?p=5190&lang=en

[Zorra]

16. This is so exciting! The epitome of a democratic revolution in process!

Go Egyptian democrats!

¡Hasta la Victoria Siempre!

[Egalitarian Thug]

2. It sounds to me like things might be moving in the right direction. n/t

[Catherina]

3. Morsi is certainly doing everything possible to ensure that

Talk about uniting the country against you. It's Mubarak 2.0 all over again.

[Catherina]

4. Ministry of Interior officer offered to assault activist while she was held/beaten

Last edited Thu Dec 6, 2012, 09:31 PM - Edit history (1)

Nada Wassef ?@Nadawassef

MOI officer offered to assault @OlaShahba while she was held&beaten by MB militias. #Morsi #MB #Pigs


This is all coming out in the interview she gave today after being released from the hospital

matthew cassel ?@justimage

Pic of Egyptian activist @OlaShahba reportedly beaten up by Morsi supporters in Cairo (by @shawkyelgenawy) pic.twitter.com/VDYAm5ft

[Catherina]

5. More activist arrests

Mostafa Sheshtawy ?@msheshtawy

RT @YasmineAhamid: Abed Mohamed - Amr Ahmed Wael - Adham Emad - Omar Zeinhom , these guys were arrested today in #maadi, we cant find them

[Catherina]

6. 2,000+ still surrounding palace. 1000+ Republican Guards deployed with tanks & APCs

Jano Charbel ?@JanoCharbel

2,000+ anti-Morsi protesters still surrounding presidential palace. 1,000s more Republican Guards deployed with tanks & APCs.

[Catherina]

7. Ex Ambassador captured and beaten by #MB

Egyptocracy ?@Egyptocracy

Ex Ambassador Negm, captured and beaten by #MB, arriving at interrogation “@NadimX: السفير يحيى نجم اول ما وصل




Damn. I googled, turned this up

Injured detainees in dire condition

Rana Allam / December 6, 2012 /


image of Former Ambassador Yehia Negm circulated on social media networks showing part of his injuries

Eyewitness at the Heliopolis police department says detainees, including former ambassador, have been bleeding for hours

...

Eyewitness Angy Naguib said 49 severely beaten protesters have been bleeding since 2 am. “The least injured has seven to nine wounds from jackknives,” Naguib said. Naguib works for a campaign called Ifrag, which tries to release military detainees, and works with groups like No Military Trials for civilians.

She said that protesters were held in the palace overnight, where they have been held for over seven hours. Among them is Yehia Negm, a former Egyptian Ambassador to Venezuela. “They’re being described as thugs, Yehia was an ambassador. He lived in exile for years and returned to Egypt only a few months ago,” Naguib said.

A picture of Negm’s beaten up face has circulated on social media but Naguib says that it merely shows 10 percent of his injuries “and he is one of the least injured.”

The protesters were injured during violent clashes that took place near the Presidential Palace, also known as Itihadiya, in Heliopolis. The clashes took place between supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsy on Wednesday. The clashes have resulted in at least five dead and around 700 injured.

http://dailynewsegypt.com/2012/12/06/injured-detainees-in-dire-condition/

[Catherina]

8. Conscript said he'd join protesters when he finishes his shift

Jano Charbel ?@JanoCharbel

Overheard a conversation between a Republican Guard & protester. Conscript said he'd join protesters when he finishes his service #FuckMorsi

[Catherina]

9. Journalist: 3 more protesters arrested

Jonathan Rashad ?@JonathanRashad

Just saw three protesters being arrested.

[Catherina]

10. Civil powers condemn Morsy’s speech, may boycott meeting

Egypt Independent ?@EgyIndependent

Civil powers condemn Morsy’s speech, may boycott meeting http://dlvr.it/2bYGy4

Civil powers condemn Morsy’s speech, may boycott meeting
Omar Halawa, Mohamed Mustafa
Fri, 07/12/2012 - 00:52

“Article 6 [of the 22 November Constitutional Declaration] aims to ensure the country’s safety against irresponsible actions by some groups, and the constitutional declaration will expire once the referendum result is announced. I invite all political forces, revolutionary youths, and legal experts for a fruitful dialogue on Saturday," President Mohamed Morsy told the nation on state TV Thursday night, in response to bloody clashes between his supporter and opponents outside his presidential palace on Wednesday left more than five dead. 



Despite the president's attempts to calm the conflict, reactions to the speech by politicians and representatives of civilian groups have been broadly negative. Some called the speech shallow, failing to address the two major demands of the opposition: rescinding the presidential decree that shields Morsy's decisions from judicial oversight or challenges; and postponing the constitutional referendum scheduled for 15 December, due in part to the withdrawal by nearly 15 secularist and Coptic representatives from the Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly. Those withdrawals had potentially created a legal grounds for annulling the assembly’s legitimacy, but such an action was averted by Morsy’s declaration, which protected the assembly from dissolution.

...



“We will not attend the Saturday meeting," Abdel Ghaffar Shokr, chairman of the Socialist Popular Alliance Party and a member of the front, told Egypt Independent. “This is a mockery of the demands. The constitutional declaration means there are exceptional circumstances in the country that grant the president dictatorial immunity. A bigger problem is that the referendum will still run on time, though the constitution includes several contentious provisions. The document has to gain consensus before voting on it."

...

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/civil-powers-condemn-morsy-s-speech-may-boycott-meeting

[Catherina]

11. Readout of President Obama's Phone Call with Egyptian President Morsi

Sarahngb ?@Sarahngb

Here is the readout of Obama's call to Morsi Here it is: http://bit.ly/TKz0S8

My apologies for the source. It's the one in the tweet

President Obama just spoke on the phone to Egypt’s President Morsi

by Greta Van Susteren Posted in: President Morsi, President Obama

Dec 6 2012 - 7:15 PM ET



THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 6, 2012



Readout of the President’s Phone Call with Egyptian President Morsi



President Obama called President Morsi today to express his deep concern about the deaths and injuries of protesters in Egypt. The President emphasized that all political leaders in Egypt should make clear to their supporters that violence is unacceptable. He welcomed President Morsi’s call for a dialogue with the opposition but stressed that such a dialogue should occur without preconditions. The President noted that the United States has also urged opposition leaders to join in this dialogue without preconditions. He reiterated the United States’ continued support for the Egyptian people and their transition to a democracy that respects the rights of all Egyptians. The President underscored that it is essential for Egyptian leaders across the political spectrum to put aside their differences and come together to agree on a path that will move Egypt forward.

http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2012/12/06/president-obama-just-spoke-on-the-phone-to-egypts-president-morsi-click-to-find-out-what-was-said/

[Catherina]

12. Taking a break to make and have dinner

My poor guests lol!

[riverwalker]

13. Dear Egyptian Islamist Forces

from Sandmonkey (known now as Mahmoud Salem)

http://dailynewsegypt.com/2012/12/05/tuesday-is-the-new-friday/

[Catherina]

15. Fine piece

If all of those people went out against the constitutional declaration yesterday, then there is no consensus on the constitutional draft and it shouldn’t even be put on a referendum. Even if you go through with it, we know that the majority is with us, so you will either lose or you will forge it, and we will go after you and bring you down. What are you counting on? And why do you have people like Beltagy go on TV talking about how the protesters should abide by the rules of democracy? You mean the same rules of democracy your president broke by giving himself unprecedented powers, by sending his supporters to prevent the constitutional court from doing their job as a check on his decisions and by trying to push through a constitution that is rejected by everybody outside his base of support? Why do your sheikhs talk about conspiracies by the church in your media? Yes, naturally we have Christians in our demonstrations, like we have representatives of every other group in Egypt in our demonstration, because they are Egyptians, and as we keep telling you, we are a diverse population. Come to our rallies and you will find it representative of Egypt, while your rallies only have Islamists. And then your president speaks about how you have the majority? What majority? He won the presidential elections by 1% with the help of non-islamists. Get a grip on reality.

[Catherina]

14. Continued in following thread

The next thread, Highlights from Egypt, Dec 7 2012 (Part 1), is here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021940838