OHCHR / EGYPT EXECUTIONS

Spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office Ravina Shamdasani said, “We have received disturbing reports that at least seven people were executed in Egypt last week. The death sentences in these cases were issued in trials that were credibly reported not to have met fair trial and due process standards.” UNTV CH

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:55
• Production Date: 15 March 2022
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - OHCHR
• Subject Topical: HUMAN RIGHTS
• Geographic Subject: EGYPT
• MAMS Id: 2719337
• Parent Id: 2719337
• Alternate Title: unifeed220315f

Description

STORY: OHCHR / EGYPT EXECUTIONS
TRT: 01:55
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS

DATELINE: 15 MARCH 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des Nations alley of flags
2. Wide shot, briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We have received disturbing reports that at least seven people were executed in Egypt last week. The death sentences in these cases were issued in trials that were credibly reported not to have met fair trial and due process standards.”
4. Wide shot, podium
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“According to reliable reports from civil society organizations, four men were executed on 8 March, after being found guilty of several terrorism-related charges, in what is known as the Hilwan Microbus case, in which eight police officers were killed in 2016. We understand that the four had alleged they were subjected to enforced disappearance and tortured to extract confessions.”
6. Wide shot, podium
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Three other men are reported to have been executed on 10 March. They had been convicted of joining a terrorist group, in connection with attacks carried out in 2014 and 2015, in what is known as the Ajnad Masr (Soldiers of Egypt) case. They had also alleged that they were forcibly disappeared and subjected to torture to coerce them into confessing.”
8. Wide shot, briefing room
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We are deeply concerned by these latest executions in Egypt and reiterate our position of principle that the death penalty should be abolished. We again urge the Egyptian authorities to introduce a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, as a first step towards its abolition.”
10. Wide shot, briefing room
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We reiterate our deep concerns about Egypt’s counterterrorism legislation, especially the vague and overly broad definitions of “terrorist group,” “terrorist crime” and “terrorist act.”
12. Wide shot, briefing room

Storyline

Spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office Ravina Shamdasani said, “We have received disturbing reports that at least seven people were executed in Egypt last week. The death sentences in these cases were issued in trials that were credibly reported not to have met fair trial and due process standards.”

At the bi-weekly press briefing on Tuesday (15 Mar) in Geneva, Shamdasani stated, “According to reliable reports from civil society organizations, four men were executed on 8 March, after being found guilty of several terrorism-related charges, in what is known as the Hilwan Microbus case, in which eight police officers were killed in 2016. We understand that the four had alleged they were subjected to enforced disappearance and tortured to extract confessions.”

She also said, “three other men are reported to have been executed on 10 March. They had been convicted of joining a terrorist group, in connection with attacks carried out in 2014 and 2015, in what is known as the Ajnad Masr (Soldiers of Egypt) case. They had also alleged that they were forcibly disappeared and subjected to torture to coerce them into confessing.”

The UN Human rights spokesperson added, “we are deeply concerned by these latest executions in Egypt and reiterate our position of principle that the death penalty should be abolished. We again urge the Egyptian authorities to introduce a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, as a first step towards its abolition.”

She also stated that the UN Human Rights calls on the authorities to take all steps to ensure due process guarantees are adhered to and all necessary safeguards are in place to ensure fair trials.

Shamdasani added, “we also reiterate our deep concerns about Egypt’s counterterrorism legislation, especially the vague and overly broad definitions of “terrorist group,” “terrorist crime” and “terrorist act.”

While States are justifiably concerned about security and terrorism threats, counter-terrorism efforts must be fully consistent with international human rights standards, Shamdasani concluded.