On 13th anniversary of Rab’a massacre, HRW says crimes against humanity were probably committed

A new report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said that the systematic and widespread killing of at least 1,150 demonstrators by Egyptian security forces in July and August 2013 probably amounts to crimes against humanity. The report which is the result of a year-long investigation said the 14th August dispersal of the Rab’a al-Adawiya sit-in resulted in a minimum of 817 people being killed and that it was more likely the figure could have been at least 1,000.

The 188-page HRW report, “All According to Plan: The Rab’a Massacre and Mass Killings of Protesters in Egypt,” documents the way the Egyptian police and army methodically opened fire with live ammunition on crowds of demonstrators opposed to the military’s 3rd July coup against Mohamed Morsy, Egypt’s first elected civilian president, at six demonstrations between 5th July and 17th August 2013. 

The report said while there is also evidence that some protesters used firearms during several of these demonstrations, there was absolutely no justification for the grossly disproportionate and premeditated lethal attacks on overwhelmingly peaceful protesters.

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“In Rab’a Square, Egyptian security forces carried out one of the world’s largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “This wasn’t merely a case of excessive force or poor training. It was a violent crackdown planned at the highest levels of the Egyptian government. Many of the same officials are still in power in Egypt, and have a lot to answer for.”

HRW said they “interviewed more than 200 witnesses, including protesters, doctors, local residents, and independent journalists, visited each of the protest sites during or immediately after the attacks began, and reviewed physical evidence, hours of video footage, and statements by public officials.”

The rights organisation confirmed that they had written to the relevant Egyptian ministries soliciting the government’s perspective on these events, but have received no responses.

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