06 Aug 2021; MEMO: Amnesty International yesterday called on Egypt to investigate a propaganda video released by the Egyptian army showing people being shot dead during a security operation in North Sinai.
"The Egyptian Public Prosecutor must urgently investigate what appear to be extrajudicial executions by members of the military in North Sinai," Amnesty said in a statement.
The video released by the Egyptian armed forces spokesman on 1 August was an update on operations against militants, Amnesty said, and shows a soldier shooting a person at close range while asleep in a makeshift tent while another clip shows an unarmed man pounded by bullets from above, as he is running in the desert. He can be seen falling to the ground.
In the video, the narrator announces the killing of 89 militants by the armed forces in North Sinai over an unspecified period of time.
"The deeply disturbing footage in this Egyptian military propaganda video, which celebrates the armed forces' deliberate cold-blooded killings of two unarmed people clearly not posing a threat to life, offers a glimpse of the shocking crimes committed in the name of countering terrorism in Egypt," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
"Given the gravity of violations committed with impunity in Egypt, as evidenced in this shocking video, the USA must ensure that the release of foreign military funding earmarked for Egypt – one of the largest long-term recipients of military aid – is subject to the government taking tangible measures to end human rights violations in the country and hold security officials accountable," Luther added.
