US calls for calm in Egypt as violence escalates

July 28, 2013

Washington, Jul 28: The US, Canada and the United Nations has called for calm and peace in Egypt amidst escalation of violence in the country leaving more than 100 people dead and some 4,500 injured.

The US Secretary of State John Kerry has spoken to Egyptian leaders like interim Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei and Interim Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy asking for calm.

At least 120 were killed yesterday when Egyptian troops opened fire on deposed President Mohammed Morsi's supporters demanding his reinstatement, the Muslim Brotherhood said.

Kerry said the continued violence sets back efforts at "reconciliation and democratisation," and affects regional stability. The US is urging "an independent and impartial inquiry" and for political leaders to help their country "take a step back from the brink," he said.

"Violence not only further sets back the process of reconciliation and democratisation in Egypt, but it will negatively impact regional stability. At this critical juncture, it is essential that the security forces and the interim government respect the right of peaceful protest, including the ongoing sit-in demonstrations," Kerry said in a statement.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke to Egyptian Defense Minister General Abdul Fatah al-Sisi over phone to express deep concerns about the security situation and recent violence in Egypt, and encouraged restraint to be exercised during this difficult period.

"The United States believes that the current transition needs to be marked by inclusivity, that Egyptian authorities should avoid politicised arrests and detentions, and take steps to prevent further bloodshed and loss of life," said Pentagon Press Secretary George Little.

"It is in the short and long term interests of the Egyptian people to renew their path toward democratic transition, and to emphasise tolerance across the political spectrum," Little said.

Meanwhile, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, strongly condemned the upsurge of violence in Egypt.

"Egypt's security forces must act with full respect for human rights, including guaranteeing the rights to free speech and assembly. He also urges the demonstrators to exercise restraint and preserve the peaceful nature of their protests," said an UN statement.

Ban urged that the deposed Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood leaders currently in detention should immediately be released or have their cases reviewed in full transparency.

Expressing deep concern and appalled by reports of deadly clashes last night in Nasr City, the Canadian Foreign Minister, John Baird, too urged all parties in Egypt to remain calm, avoid violence and engage in meaningful political dialogue.

"Canada firmly believes that the only way to move forward and restore calm is to respect the voices of all Egyptian citizens and the contributions of its civil society, including religious minorities. All Egyptians deserve a stake in the future stability and prosperity of Egypt," he said in a statement.

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UN condemns Israeli regime’s ‘organized torture’ against Palestinians

News Network

November 30,2025

The United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) has condemned the Israeli regime for enforcing a policy of “organized torture” against Palestinians.

In a report published on Friday, CAT stated that the occupying regime enforces a deliberate policy of “organized and widespread torture and ill-treatment” against Palestinian abductees, particularly since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza.

The committee expressed “deep concern over repeated severe beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, water-boarding, use of prolonged stress positions [and] sexual violence” inflicted on Palestinians.

Palestinian prisoners were degraded by “being made to act like animals or being urinated on,” systematically denied medical care, and subjected to excessive restraints, “in some cases resulting in amputation,” the report added.

CAT also condemned the routine application of “unlawful combatants law” to justify the prolonged detention without trial of thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children.

More than 10,000 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently held in Israeli prisons, according to Palestinian and international human rights groups, with 3,474 Palestinians in “administrative detention,” meaning they are imprisoned without trial for indefinite periods.

The report highlighted the “high proportion of children who are currently detained without charge or on remand,” noting that while Israel sets the age of criminal responsibility at 12, even younger children have been abducted.

Children designated as security prisoners face severe restrictions on family contact, may be subjected to solitary confinement, and are denied access to education, in clear violation of international law.

The committee further suggested that Israel’s policies across the Occupied Territories constitute collective torture against the Palestinian population.

“A range of policies adopted by Israel in the course of its continued unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading living conditions for the Palestinian population,” the report said.

On Thursday, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas condemned the systematic killing and torture of Palestinian abductees in Israeli prisons, urging international action to halt these abuses.

Citing human rights data, Hamas stated that 94 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli prisons since the start of Tel Aviv’s genocidal war on Gaza.

“This reflects an organized criminal approach that has turned these prisons into direct killing grounds to eliminate our people,” the resistance movement said.

Hamas called on the international community, the UN, and human rights organizations to immediately pressure Israel to end crimes against prisoners and uphold their rights as guaranteed by all international conventions and norms.

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