Egypt: Human Rights

Publisher Marketing: 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.