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15/08/2001
WORKING TOGETHER TO END TORTURE IN POLICE STATIONS
THE ASSOCIATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL AID (AHRLA)
ANNOUNCES THE START OF ITS CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE USE OF TORTURE IN POLICE STATIONS
THE CAM PAIGN WILL TAKE PLACE BETWEEN AUGUST 15TH 2001 TILL JANUARY 15TH 2002
Torture in police stations has become a dangerous practice affecting social well being and threatening the safety and dignity of citizens. It should be noted that the Egyptian Constitution clearly holds torture, the use of force, and all types of degrading treatment to be a criminal offense, as do all international agreements which have been ratified by Egypt, and are therefore considered legally binding. Despite this, torture is carried out on a wide scale in police stations without the perpetrators batting an eyelid.
The Association for Human Rights Legal Aid (AHRLA) has recently been working on a number of cases involving brutal and humiliating treatment as well as torture, which in many cases lead to death in custody. It is therefore convinced that torture has now become a practice that can only be defeated if a clear political will is exercised. In order for this to become a reality it is imperative that a far broader section of society become aware of the dangers and implications involved. The practice of torture has become so widespread that it can no more be considered as an exceptional occurrence. It is now part of a systematic methodology adopted by our police forces in their daily practices, a fact that is somewhat reflected in the changing of the police slogan from 'Police in the service of the people' to the somewhat dubious 'Police and people in the service of the State'.
Perpetrators of torture crimes are treated as if they had carried out minor excesses, requiring only the simplest of punitive measures - one would think they had done nothing graver than break a traffic light. A recent and pertinent example of this attitude is the court ruling in the case of a police officer who, it was proven, had tortured thirteen citizens. The officer in question received a sentence of ten days pay loss, on the grounds that torture was a "simple administrative error".
Given the Association's firm belief that the development of society cannot be realized in an atmosphere of fear and deterrence, AHRLA announces the start of its campaign against torture in police stations, from the period between 15/8/2001 to 15/1/2002. The Association fully realizes that this is no easy endeavor, and cannot be achieved through a single unstained act. It will therefore use all civil and political actions possible in its campaign to stop torture in police stations, using all means available to bring to justice those who violate the life, dignity and basic rights of citizens.
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