EGYPT 2013 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY United States Department of State • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor

EGYPT 2013 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Note: This report was updated 3/05/14; see Appendix H: Errata for more
information.
Egypt is a republic governed at year’s end by interim President Adly Mansour,
appointed by the armed forces on July 3 following the removal of President
Mohamed Morsy and his government the same day. The government derives its
authority from the July 3 announcement by Minister of Defense Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi and the July 8 Constitutional Declaration issued by interim President
Mansour. The Constitutional Declaration vested the interim president with
legislative authority until a new legislature is elected, which was expected in the
first half of 2014. Elections, both parliamentary and presidential, were scheduled
to follow a January 2014 referendum on a new draft constitution that was
completed on December 6. The authorities at times failed to maintain effective
control over the security forces. Security forces committed human rights abuses.

After antigovernment protests throughout the spring, which culminated in massive
demonstrations against the government in Cairo and other governorates on June
30, President Morsy and his government were ousted, and security forces detained
Morsy at an undisclosed location. The military suspended the 2012 constitution,
and six weeks of confrontations between security forces and demonstrators
opposed to Morsy’s removal followed. On August 14, Ministry of Interior forces
supported by military units used lethal force to disperse large Muslim Brotherhood
(MB)-organized sit-ins at Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in Cairo and Nahda Square in
Giza. According to the Forensic Medicine Authority, 398 persons died during
these operations, and a total of 726 protesters were killed nationwide between
August 14 and November 13. Most nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
estimated 600 to 900 persons died in the August 14 operations. The government
declared a state of emergency on August 14, imposing a curfew and arresting
prominent MB members and other Morsy supporters. The state of emergency
expired on November 14 and was not renewed. On December 25, the interim
government declared the MB a terrorist organization.

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/220562.pdf