The UN Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, has expressed concern over the escalating violence in Egypt, calling on the country’s transitional authorities to ensure the protection of human rights ahead of next week’s parliamentary elections.
Mr Ban was joined by four UN human rights experts who voiced alarm at the violent crackdown against protesters in Egypt, particularly in Cairo, that has led to the death of at least 20 people since the weekend.
The Secretary General is “deeply concerned about the violence in Egypt during the last few days,” his spokesperson said.
He said Mr Ban “deplores” the loss of life and urges “restraint and calm” by all parties to enable a peaceful and inclusive electoral process.
The Secretary General calls on the transitional authorities to guarantee the protection of human rights and civil liberties for all Egyptians, including the right to peaceful protest.
More than 1,700 people have been injured since Saturday in the clashes between security forces and demonstrators, with Cairo being the focus of the violence.
UN human rights experts also expressed concern at the degree of violence.
Maina Kiai, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, called for an “independent investigation” into the cause of death and escalation of violence in Egypt.
“Dissent must be tolerated and not restrained with excessive force, which can lead to loss of life,” Christof Heyns, the Special Rapporteur on summary executions, said.
Frank La Rue, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, said it was essential that diverse views, including criticism of authorities, can be expressed peacefully in Egypt, where the long-standing regime headed by Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February after weeks of protests.
Parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for September, are slated to begin next Monday and continue in a series of stages through January 2012.