SCAF incites public against protesters

AFTE strongly condemns statements by general Abdel Moneim Kato, SCAF consultant for morale affairs to El Shoruk daily Egyptian newspaper in its 19 December 2011 issue where the newspaper quoted the military consultant as saying “the media protects the criminals” asking the Shoruk interviewer “How do you sympathize with misfit kids who should be burnt in Hitler’s ovens?”

AFTE believes that those statements constitute a clear and direct incitement for violence and hatred, which violates the right to opinion and expression granted in all international laws and conventions as well as exposed protesters to extreme danger.

Paragraph 2 of article 20 of the International Covenant for Civil and Political states that: “Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law”. Comment 11 concerning the mentioned article, endorsed by the UN human rights committee elaborates that the article addresses any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred which constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, irrespective of the internal or external motivations for such incitement in the state concerned.

The condemned statement was not made by just any person, but by the representative of an authority that leads the transitional stage and controls all security and media authorities, which puts protesters in a weak position, incapable of protecting itself of possible consequences of Kato’s statement.

Also, Kato’s statement questions the integrity and motivation of protesters which exposes them to a dual danger. On the one hand they are subject to the anger of public opinion mobilized against them by the official statement and are consequently subject to violence by the public. On the other hand, General Kato is the SCAF consultant for Moral Affairs of the armed forces, i.e. his statements have a direct impact on army soldiers and officers confronting protesters on the streets, which could explain any previous or subsequent violence as well as explain the high numbers of martyrs and brutally injured suffering the violation of the most basic human rights foremost the right to life.

AFTE calls for an immediate investigation with General Kato and holding him accountable regarding his statements which constitute clear and direct incitement of violence and hatred against Egyptian citizens and their legitimate right to demonstrate and protest against their oppressors.