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Egypt security men accused of killing protesters

24 March 2011 03:09 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Egypt’s public prosecutor Wednesday charged the country’s former interior minister and several other top security officials with murder and attempted murder for their roles in the deaths of protesters during mass anti-government demonstrations, APA reports quoting â€œAssociated Pressâ€.
Abdul-Magid Mahmoud said former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly, who is in prison on other charges, and the heads of the state, public and central security agencies are responsible for killing protesters during mass demonstrations that led to the ouster of Hosni Mubarak’s regime.
The heads of security in 10 Egyptian cities also have been charged with corruption.
It’s the first move by Egypt’s provisional military government to hold former officials accountable for the deaths of some 300 demonstrators.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s military rulers have endorsed a package of constitutional amendments adopted in a nationwide referendum, paving the way for parliamentary and presidential elections within months.
Critics fear the swift timetable could boost the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood and members of the former ruling party, but the amendments were overwhelmingly approved by Egyptian voters last week.
Wednesday’s declaration by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces didn’t set a date for the elections. It said the council would soon issue a new constitutional decree to "organize the authorities for the coming transitional period," in line with the constitutional amendments.
The amendments fill a vacuum left by the suspension of Egypt’s constitution following a popular uprising that led to Mubarak’s ouster on Feb. 11. He handed power to the military, which has promised to set the country on the path to democratic reform.
The military rulers have said before that they are eager to hand over power as soon as possible to a civilian government.
The amendments eased conditions for independent candidates to run elections and limited presidents to two four-year terms. They also ensured fair and free elections.
Also on Wednesday, the Egyptian Cabinet has proposed a new law that would criminalize some forms of protest.
Cabinet spokesman Magdi Radi said the law, if passed, would mean punishment for those involved in protests that stop work or destroy property.
He says the Cabinet forwarded the proposal to the military council. It remains unclear when or if the military will adopt the law, which suggests prison terms and fines of up to about $84,000 for violators.
The proposal reflects deep fears among Egypt’s rulers that continued strikes and protests will hamper economic recovery.
Others criticize such moves for seeking to limit the type of activism that overthrew the Mubarak regime.