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___Alkarama today condemns a further Egyptian Minister of Justice move to hold a trial inside a prison rather than an official courthouse.

The 3 November hearing of 13 women was held in the infamous Damanhour prison, rather than in the misdemeanor appeal court of Sida Jaber as it was scheduled to be held, following the issuance of Minister of Justice decision No. 7587.

Samia, Salwa and Sarah were amongst the 21 women arrested and beaten up by the police and the military in Alexandria on 31 October 2013. The young women, mostly university and school students aged between 15 and 18 years old, were chanting anti-army slogans. They are currently held in administrative detention pending investigation in Damanhour city as a consequence of the exercise of their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression. Alkarama calls for their immediate release and condemns the authorities' failure to uphold the right to freedom of expression.
The Egyptian authorities should amend the new draft law on demonstrations in public places before its adoption.

Alkarama is deeply concerned by the draft law on the "Organization of the Right to Public Assembly, Processions and Peaceful Demonstrations in Public Places" – known as 'the Demonstration Law' - which falls short of Egypt's international human rights obligations regarding the right to assembly.

As thousands of Egyptians again take to the streets throughout the country today in protest at the brutality of the repression by the military and police forces over the past 6 weeks, dozens of deaths are already reported.
Initial reports by Alkarama field researchers confirm at least 107 protesters killed by gunfire

Early reports confirm that hundreds of anti-coup protesters have been killed this morning as military and police assaulted Rabaa and Nahda squares in Cairo with excessive force. Sky News rightly described the crackdown as a "major military assault largely on unarmed civilians". Alkarama urges the interim Egyptian government to put an end to these extra-judicial killings of largely unarmed protesters.

Alkarama submits 261 documented protester deaths to UN; recalls criminal liability of decision-makers, including heads of security services and civilian authorities, is engaged in cases of continued excessive use of force.

Alkarama informed the United Nations special procedures of the documented deaths of 152 protesters between 26 and 27 July 2013 this week. Added to the previous 109 extrajudicial executions documented by Alkarama, at least 260 have died at the hands of security forces since the military deposed Mohamed Morsi as president on 3 July.

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Egypt must respond to UN request for fact-finding mission

In the early hours of 27 July 2013, at least 100 protestors were killed by the Egyptian security services in the most serious violence since the coup that toppled Mohamed Morsi three weeks ago.

On 10 July, Alkarama presented the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention with the case of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi 'Isa al-'Ayat, arrested and arbitrarily detained since his overthrow by the Army on 3 July 2013.

Also arrested with him were his staff, including Dr. Ahmad 'Abd-al-'Ati, Dr. 'Isam al-Hadad, Mr. Khalid al-Qazaz, Mr. 'Abd-al-Majid Mishali, Mr. As'ad al-Shaykhah, and Dr. Ayman 'Ali. All of them were detained, apparently under "house arrest", but in a location that remains unknown.

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At least one hundred and nine protestors have been shot dead by the Egyptian military and police during demonstrations between 3 and 8 July 2013.
Following the military coup that ousted President Morsi on 2 July 2013, Alkarama is deeply concerned by early reports of deaths of protestors, disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and a crackdown on freedom of expression by Egyptian military and police forces.