الرئيسية
CAIRO (AP) — Several Egyptian rights groups on Friday accused the
country's ruling military council of using Hosni Mubarak-era "repressive
tools" in waging an "unprecedented campaign" against pro-democracy
organizations.
The groups' joint statement came just hours after
security forces stormed offices of 10 rights organizations, including
several based in the United States. The Interior Ministry said the raids
were part of the investigation into foreign funding of rights groups.
The
military, which took over control after a popular uprising toppled
Mubarak in February, has previously accused the groups of fomenting
protests with the help of funds from outside the country.
Friday's
statement, signed by 28 Egyptian rights groups, said the attacks herald
a wider clampdown to target those who led the uprising and were an
attempt to "liquidate" the revolution.
"The military council is
using Mubarak's authoritarian and repressive tolls ... in an even more
dangerous and uglier way," the statement read. The raids "are an
unprecedented campaign aimed at covering up big failures of the military
council in managing the transition period."
The groups also said
the ruling military was trying to "liquidate or take revenge on the
political and rights groups that played a significant role in preparing
for the revolution, getting involved or shaping the vision to build a
new system on the ruins of Mubarak's regime."
An official with the
justice ministry's inspection teams said computers and cash were
confiscated during the raids. He said an earlier investigation revealed
these groups had received up to $100 million from abroad, then deposited
the money in different Egyptian banks using names of illiterate
Egyptians for the fake accounts.
Also Thursday, police arrested
and stormed the home of a member of the April 6 group, a youth movement
at the helm of the anti-Mubarak protests. A security official said
hashish and about $4,000 were found at Ahmed el-Salkawi's house.
April
6 was among the groups the military had accused of receiving foreign
funds and using the money to promote for a "foreign agenda." Both
officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to talk to the media.
country's ruling military council of using Hosni Mubarak-era "repressive
tools" in waging an "unprecedented campaign" against pro-democracy
organizations.
The groups' joint statement came just hours after
security forces stormed offices of 10 rights organizations, including
several based in the United States. The Interior Ministry said the raids
were part of the investigation into foreign funding of rights groups.
The
military, which took over control after a popular uprising toppled
Mubarak in February, has previously accused the groups of fomenting
protests with the help of funds from outside the country.
Friday's
statement, signed by 28 Egyptian rights groups, said the attacks herald
a wider clampdown to target those who led the uprising and were an
attempt to "liquidate" the revolution.
"The military council is
using Mubarak's authoritarian and repressive tolls ... in an even more
dangerous and uglier way," the statement read. The raids "are an
unprecedented campaign aimed at covering up big failures of the military
council in managing the transition period."
The groups also said
the ruling military was trying to "liquidate or take revenge on the
political and rights groups that played a significant role in preparing
for the revolution, getting involved or shaping the vision to build a
new system on the ruins of Mubarak's regime."
An official with the
justice ministry's inspection teams said computers and cash were
confiscated during the raids. He said an earlier investigation revealed
these groups had received up to $100 million from abroad, then deposited
the money in different Egyptian banks using names of illiterate
Egyptians for the fake accounts.
Also Thursday, police arrested
and stormed the home of a member of the April 6 group, a youth movement
at the helm of the anti-Mubarak protests. A security official said
hashish and about $4,000 were found at Ahmed el-Salkawi's house.
April
6 was among the groups the military had accused of receiving foreign
funds and using the money to promote for a "foreign agenda." Both
officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to talk to the media.