The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights today asked the public prosecutor to open an independent, urgent investigation into the failure of the security forces to assume their legal duty to secure demonstrations and protect the lives of demonstrators and others. These crimes have led to the death and injury of hundreds of citizens in civil clashes or armed attacks targeting demonstrators, journalists, local residents and others who happen to be present during clashes.

According to a preliminary count by the EIPR, more than 165 people were killed and hundreds more injured in political violence from 27 June to the end of July in 16 governorates: Cairo, Giza, Qalyoubiya, Alexandria, Daqahliya, Sharqiya, Assyout, Fayyoum, Beni Soueif, Kafr Sheikh, Ismailiya, Minya, Suez, Beheira, Port Said and Gharbiya. These numbers do not include casualties of clashes and attacks by police and army forces, seen more than once over the past month, most significantly at the Republican Guard Club on 8 July and al-Nasr Street on 26 July.

“In all incidents of political violence over the past weeks—whether armed attacks on local residents by demonstrators, violent clashes between supporters and opponents of the deposed president or assaults by criminal elements on peaceful demonstrations—testimony from the injured, survivors and eyewitnesses consistently says that police forces vanish during the attacks, arrive hours after the outbreak of violence and the first deaths or are present near the scene of the crime but take no action to protect lives, stop the violence and arrest armed elements.” EIPR researcher Karim Ennarah said.

Under Article 3 of the police law, security forces are legally responsible for preserving public order, security and morals and protecting lives, honor and property, in particular preventing crimes and apprehending offenders. Security forces must also uphold the peace and security of citizens in all cases and carry out their duties as prescribed by law.

The EIPR stresses that the failure of the police to intervene to stop clashes between demonstrators and locals, other demonstrators or armed assailants is a grave dereliction of duty punishable by law. Article 123 of the Penal Code carries a sentence of imprisonment and dismissal for any public servant who willfully refrains from performing an act that is part of his job description. In some cases, security forces may be liable for abetting the killing by not performing their duty to protect citizens from attacks on their lives.

Ennarah added, “Despite the security forces’ bloody record of confronting peaceful demonstrators and protecting property with excessive force, they fail to intervene to protect the lives of citizens and demonstrators when such intervention is legal and necessary to save lives and prevent crimes.”

The Public Prosecution is currently pursuing several separate investigations into incidents of violence and murder seen over the last month, such as the shooting of demonstrators outside the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Muqattam on 30 June, attacks by supporters of the deposed president on residents of Bayn al-Sarayat on 2 July and Manial and Alexandria on 5 July and the shooting deaths of four citizens in a pro-Morsy demonstration in Mansoura on 19 July. EIPR urges the public prosecutor to expand the scope of these investigations to include criminal liability by the police for their failure to act to prevent these crimes, along with those who directly incited to or perpetrated the violence.

Preliminary count of casualties in civilian political violence, 27 June to 31 July 2013