Brutality of the Egyptian Interior Ministry Against Citizens Everywhere: A Week of Killings, Torture, and Arbitrary Arrests
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior has once again affirmed its repressive and brutal approach toward citizens via several separate incidents — with disregard for law and conscience — such a phenomena that has become emblematic of the regime’s failure to administer the state affairs except through violence and coercion. The past few days witnessed four shocking events that have underscored how Egyptian lives are taken at the hands of a tyrannical authority that lacks any accountability or justice. These four incidents are:
1- The death of the detainee Mohamed Hassan Hilal inside Qasr el-Eini Hospital, after being transferred from Badr Prison 3 while in a state of coma amid reports indicating that he was subjected to severe torture which caused a skull fracture and internal bleeding. Despite the fact that he had completed his original sentence, Hilal was unjustly rotated into a new case.
2- The killing of a young man called Mahmoud inside the Khalifa Police Station in Cairo, just a few days after his arrest. There were signs of torture on Mahmoud's body, as his family confirmed — in a tragic recurrence of the torture crimes committed in detention centers.
3- The extrajudicial execution of two young men, Youssef al-Sarhani and Farag al-Fazari, in Matrouh Governorate. Despite the fact that they had voluntarily turned themselves in after local mediation efforts, they were executed in cold blood — according to verified testimonies — in what constitutes a blatant case of extrajudicial killing and utter disregard for human life.
4- The police assault on the residents of Warraq al-Arab Island, as part of ongoing attempts to forcibly displace them in favour of investment projects. The island was stormed, residents were assaulted, and several citizens were arrested — bringing to the mind memories of the regime’s long-standing policy of forced evictions.
These four incidents constitute full-fledged crimes that cannot be justified or concealed, which requires a clear stance from all political forces as well as both Egyptian and international human rights communities.
In this regard, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) strongly condemns these crimes and violations committed against citizens and detainees. We also hold the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor General fully responsible for the blood of the victims.
The MB also calls for immediate, independent, and transparent investigations under the auspices of neutral human rights and judicial bodies. Furthermore, we demand the immediate release of the detainees from the Warraq al-Arab and ensuring the residents’ right to live in dignity on their land.
The Egyptian people will never forget these crimes, nor will they relinquish their right to freedom, dignity, and justice — no matter how long the night of tyranny and oppression may last.
Sohaib Abdel-Maqsoud
Muslim Brotherhood Media Spokesman
(Monday, 15 Ramadan 1446 AH / 13 April 2025 AD)