7,000 Egyptian civilians jailed since fall of Mubarak!
CAIRO, Egypt - June 13, 2011 - Egypt's military rulers told human rights advocates Monday that at least 7,000 civilians have been sentenced to prison terms by military courts since Hosni Mubarak was ousted - an astoundingly high number likely to fuel debate over how much the revolution has actually changed the country.
Advocates said the military promised to review the cases and vacate any improper guilty verdicts and commute the sentences. But some of the same advocates voiced skepticism and demanded more information about civilians in military custody.
"This is not the first time they've promised," said Mona Seif, a member of a rights group called No Military Trials that met with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Egypt's ruling body. "We were offered no guarantees whatsoever."
The use of military courts to try people who've been detained in anti-government protests in recent months is highly charged here. One of the complaints against Mubarak's regime was that it silenced dissidents by quickly prosecuting them in military courts. The caretaker government that took over after Mubarak's resignation has done little to alter the practice, however.
