UN rights chief slams Egypt crackdown

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay condemns Egypt's junta for staging “ruthless violence” and “inhuman acts” in handling recent protests in the capital. Four days of bloody crackdown by military forces and riot police in Cairo's Tahrir Square has left 14 demonstrators dead and more than 500 others injured. The UN official said in a statement on Monday, “The graphic images of protesters, including women, being brutally clubbed and assaulted, long after the point when they are showing any resistance, are utterly shocking.” “People lying motionless on the ground are shown on film being smashed on the head and body with sticks. These are life-threatening and inhuman acts that cannot possibly be justified under the guise of restoration of security or crowd control," she added. Egyptian bloggers posted a video clip on YouTube of the troops beating and kicking a woman, whose clothing had been ripped off. Pillay said that "some of those who were filmed this weekend, including those viciously clubbing and kicking an apparently unconscious half-naked woman, should be easy to identify.” On Sunday, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also condemned the violent crackdown. His office issued a statement, saying, “[The UN chief] is highly alarmed by the excessive use of force employed by the security forces against protesters, and calls for the transitional authorities to act with restraint and uphold human rights, including the right to peaceful protest." International media presence did not discourage the troops from brutalizing the protesters, who have for several months been demanding that the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) immediately leave power. The SCAF took over following the popular revolution that toppled the former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak in February. It has, however, so far refused to live up to its promise of handing over the power to a civilian government.