Collective Punishment in Egypt

A new report from the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights focuses attention on the problem of collective punishment in Egypt.

This report looks at the history of mass arrests by Egyptian officials to target ethnic, social, religious or other groups for crimes committed by a few. This of course violates international human rights standards, diminishes the fabric of civic society, entrenches human rights abuses within the judicial system and generally is ineffective in stopping crime. After the Taba bombings in 2004, EOHR reported that more than 4,000 people were arrested, almost all of whom ended up being released after being jailed in poor conditions, some for long periods of time.

Collective punishment also is often accompanied by violence by police officers, as they attempt to round up large number of people. EOHR that several recent episodes of collective punishment have resulted in deaths and large number of injuries to civilians.

Yesterday we wrote about how Egyptian officials detained family members of suspects. Collective punishment is the same unhealthy principle, writ large.


Here's a link to the EOHR report.