Six years after the Rabaa massacre, Egypt's 'pervasive impunity' on human rights persists: Amnesty

The legacy of the Rabaa massacre of 2013, which killed at least 1,000 people, continues to haunt Egypt as the military regime continues to haunt the Egyptian people as the military regime violates human rights, a rights watchdog has said.

In a statement, Amnesty International condemned the Egyptian regime, led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, on the sixth year anniversary of the Rabaa massacre and the continuation of human rights abuses that followed.

"Six years on Egyptians continue to live in the shadow of the horrific events of the Rabaa massacre which marked the beginning of a sharp decline in the human rights situation in Egypt" said Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International.

"The failure to hold a single member of the security forces or those with command responsibility over them accountable for the killings has fostered a climate of pervasive impunity and emboldened security forces to carry out mass enforced disappearances and routinely subject detainees to torture and other ill-treatment without fearing justice,” she added.

She went on to empthasise that survivors of the massacre are still suffering by the hands of the brutal Sisi regime.

"To this day dozens remain on death row and scores behind bars simply for participating in the sit-in. Others who were sentenced in absentia live in exile unable to return home. Even those who were detained and later released continue to face strict probation measures infringing on their daily lives", she said.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch say at least 40,000 people were arrested in the first year after Morsi's ouster on 3 July, 2013.

The 2013 sit-in at Rabaa Square was staged by supporters of the deposed former president Mohammed Morsi who died earlier this year. He was ousted in a coup by Egypt's current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, following days of protests against Morsi's tenure. 

A total of 374 were sentenced to 15 years and 215 defendants to five years. Proceedings were dropped against five defendants who have died since the trial began.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch say at least 40,000 people were arrested in the first year after Morsi's ouster on 3 July, 2013. 

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