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Africa North
Dozens of protest detainees killed in Egypt
2013-08-19
Government says at least 35 people dead in attempted escape, but Anti-Coup Alliance says they were killed in cold blood

Egyptian police say at least 35 detained protesters have been killed while attempting to escape from a prison convoy, but the Muslim Brotherhood has alleged that their supporters were killed in cold blood and called for an international inquiry into the incident.

There were conflicting reports of how Sunday's deaths occurred. The Egyptian Interior Ministry said the prisoners had taken an officer hostage and died after suffocating to death after police fired tear gas.

"Thirty-five of the prisoners died of suffocation and crowding after tear gas was used to stop their escape," the Ministry said.
Suffocation and crowding? Either they were hemmed into a really, really small piece or they were really, really stupid...
The men, believed to be supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood organisation, were killed while being transferred to Abu Zaabal prison near Cairo in a convoy of about 600 detainees, sources told Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera was told another version of events by a source who said the prisoners staged a fight and then took a police officer hostage when the van pulled over. Other police then fired into the van, killing those inside.
Tough luck for the officer taken hostage but it's one way to ensure that the perps don't get away.
The Egyptian MENA news agency said that the van transporting the men pulled over and was attacked by armed gunmen. It reported that the prisoners took a police officer hostage in an attempt to escape but were killed in a shootout, not by tear gas as claimed by the government.

Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith, reporting from Cairo, quoted a source who said the men had been arrested at the end of a siege at Cairo's Fateh mosque on Saturday. More than 200 people were said to have been arrested there on various charges including "terrorism".

In a statement on Sunday, the Anti-Coup Alliance said it had "obtained evidence of the assassination of anti-coup detainees in a truck transferring them to Abu Zaabal prison.

"They were reportedly assassinated in their truck with live ammunition and tear gas fired from windows."
No words of sympathy about the six dozen or so cops murdered by the anti-Morsi protestors...
"The murder of 35 detained anti-coup protestors affirms the intentional violence aimed at opponents of the coup, and the cold-blooded killing of which they are targets," it said in a statement in English.
At some point they'll say something that will cause me to care...
The group said it “puts full criminal responsibility on leaders of the 3rd of July coup, beginning with Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, [Egypt's army chief], and Minister of Interior Muhammad Ibrahim Kamel."

In the statement, the Anti-Coup Alliance demanded "an international investigation into this horrific crime, in addition to other crimes committed by leaders of the 3rd of July coup".
Posted by:Steve White

#2  If they attempt to escape, shoot them. If they do not attempt to escape, shoot them again.
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-08-19 11:10  

#1  Egypt = trucks and tear gas.

Northern Alliance = shipping containers and machine guns.

Just a difference in method, tho container disposal is much more efficient.
Posted by: Pappy   2013-08-19 11:07  

00:00