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Egypt: Torture, Sodomy Exposed in Cell Phone Videos
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ShareJanuary 19, 2007 5:41 PM
Purported videos of torture sessions in Egyptian detention centers, posted on the Internet by a human rights activist, have led to the arrest of two police officers and raised new questions about interrogation practices in a country that already has a bad track record for human rights abuses.
The videos posted by an Egyptian blogger, Wael Abbas, purport to show a bus driver being sodomized with a rod, a female murder suspect hung upside down and a policeman repeatedly slapping a suspect.
Abbas circulated the videos, which were taken using cell phones, on the popular YouTube Web site.
They got the attention of the press, and Abbas was interviewed on a number of Arab television stations. Two police officers who allegedly participated in sodomizing the bus driver were arrested and will face charges in March, according to press reports.
This week a journalist working on a documentary about torture in Egypt for al Jazeera was charged with spreading false news that could "harm national interest" and "possessing and giving false pictures about the internal situation in Egypt that could undermine the dignity of the country."
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
Al Jazeera insisted the tapes found with Huwaida Metwalli contained re-enactment scenes, which they said were a legitimate production technique for the documentary. Human rights and journalist organizations issued statements condemning the government's charges against the journalist.
The goal is to stop the documentary and send "a chilling message" to other journalists who might think about addressing the issue of torture, Elijah Zarwan, a Cairo-based researcher for Human Rights Watch told ABC News. "Rather than eradicating torture, the government is eradicating coverage of torture and targeting journalists," said Zarwan, adding that it shows Egypt is not serious about tackling the problem.
The Human Rights Watch 2007 report about Egypt said the organization "continues to receive credible reports that security services and police routinely torture and mistreat detainees."
Zarwan says Egypt needs to change its definition of torture to fit international standards. He explains that the current definition does not include psychological harm, for example.
Also, suspects who claim to have been tortured are often not seen by a doctor for weeks, which makes it difficult to establish if and how they were tortured, he says.
Another important step would be dropping emergency laws, which give the government broad powers and allow it to detain people without charging them.
January 19, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (12)
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Ummm.. Is this different than the Abu Ghraib torture that we heard so much about?
I mean, our soldiers do the same thing as the Egyptians, right?
I was told by my local media that america is full of torturing and murderous soldiers who hate mid-easterners and want to torture them, mercilessly.
I'm confused... Is THIS torture, or is Abu Ghrab, or Gitmo?
They seem vastly different torture techniques. Please someone, enlighted me. I always thought that it was WE that were the evil ones.
Posted by: SUV.Driving.Lib | Jan 19, 2007 7:28:46 PM
it is very simple it is all bushs fault no matter what no matter where
Posted by: shawn | Jan 19, 2007 7:51:47 PM
..and we are to be concerned for what exactly...
This is no different from Pelican Bay, Leavenworth, et al prisons in the US. Other than it is done BY prisoners TO prisoners.
but again....our concern it to what?...
We would suggest ridding ourselves of prisons and having local firing squads at each city so it never has to go to the state or federal level. We will take care of our own. Just as the Shia and Sunni will.
Or as the Christians and Muslims will have to do eventually...again
Posted by: bill | Jan 20, 2007 7:47:47 PM
Very good article.
"Also, suspects who claim to have been tortured are often not seen by a doctor for weeks..."
Very often months pass between the time the torture allegedly took place and the time they see a doctor.
Posted by: Lada.Driving.Lib | Jan 20, 2007 9:40:25 PM
Can any of my follow comrades detail how our torture techniques compare to that of Egypt?
Is this a topic that we can discuss in further detail?
I voted for Kerry because of the horrendous torture techniques at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib (ie: panties on the face)
But they have different techniques than we do. May we discuss further please?
Posted by: SUV.Driving.Lib | Jan 22, 2007 12:15:17 PM
Any system that uses torture to achieve ANY end, is the wrong system.
Further,if your plan to make my life better involves torture or killing-I want nothing to do with it or you.
Posted by: Elliott Stockard | Jan 24, 2007 12:28:05 PM
Let me get this straight panties on the head is the same level of torture as having a rod crammed up the rectum. Hmm, no I dont think they are equivalent.
Horrendous torture at Abu Graib, again frat parties are worse. There is not equivalent between the Egyptian torture and the humiliation,not torture, inflicted on the Abu Graibs.
As for Gitmo, they eat better, have better medical care than some Americans, better worship than some Muslim home boys and you call this torture?
Please you libs get a life and read about real torture. Remove your heads from your rear ends.
Posted by: Dr DOn | Jan 24, 2007 3:04:06 PM
American soldiers stuck rods up terrorists behinds? That would be (disgusting) news to me.
Posted by: Mark | Jan 26, 2007 12:50:48 PM
Egypt is a U.S. ally.
Posted by: jazmine | Jan 27, 2007 10:53:44 AM
At Abu Ghraib, US personnel BEAT PEOPLE TO DEATH by hanging them from their wrists until they asphyxiated, by beating people to death, and tortured them by threatening to kill them over and over, by having dogs attack and bite them while they were naked, etc. FBI agents who saw what was going on at Guantanamo said they could not be involved because they knew it was illegal.
Claiming that all Americans did at Abu Ghraib is put panties on their heads is a crock.
Posted by: John Brown | Jan 28, 2007 12:09:26 AM
I find your statement full of exaggerations John Brown, as I think most people would.
Please, go make your mamma proud.
Posted by: JelloBiafra | Jan 29, 2007 5:25:40 PM
John Brown I agree with you.
Posted by: Redwppdhippie | Jan 30, 2007 10:34:28 PM
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