Egypt rights group goes after gov’t over US tear gas imports

Tear Gas

CAIRO: Following the entry of 7 tons of American tear gas on Sunday into Egypt, the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights filed a report against the Egyptian cabinet at the general prosecutor’s office, for importing the shipment and allowing it into the country.

The report is against Essam Sharaf, the now-resigned prime minister, general Mansour al-Essawy, the current minister of interior and the American company that sent the shipment.

The rights center demanded that the shipment be confiscated and submitted to scientific research to investigate the gas components, expiry dates and its effects on the health of Egyptians, which it would be used against.

In recent clashes between police and protesters in Tahrir square, police used thousands of banned and expired tear gas against the crowds, creating far more serious harm than other previous kinds of forced used by police before.

Many protesters have told Bikymasr.com they suffer from shaking, fainting, seizure-like symptoms and vomiting blood.

During the clashes, police also used live ammunition on protesters, killing at least 70 in 6 days and injuring over 3,000.

Many activists reported the strength of the new tear gas, with some breaking out in humorous chants: “people want the old tear gas.”

The newly arrived shipment is the first installment of the importaion and two more 7 tons shipments are scheduled to arrive this week, bring the total to 21 tons. Initially, the staff at the port in Suez, where the shipmenet arrived, refused to accept it, knowing it would be used to crack down on Egyptians.

They were threatened with investigation and finally the shipment did enter the country and was moved amidst strict security measures to the storages of the ministry of interior in Cairo.

The ECESR also said their legal team is to file another case against the military ruling council and ministry of interior, hoping to make it “outlawed to used tear gas or any other mean to disperse crowds other than water.”

The United States has said that it has not seen any “misuse by the Egyptian police” with tear gas, despite Bikyamasr.com and other reports highlighting attacks on field hospitals in downtown Cairo.

BM

Tags: ECES, featured, Legal, Tear-gas

Section: Egypt, Human Rights, Latest News