Egypt: Attacks by Security Forces in Sarando

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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/69210e2b3bd8262a56732172e258bef7.htm

detailed below) from the remaining women and children on the attacks that occurred in the village during the March 4th raid as well as subsequent abuses.

March 4, 2005: Arbitrary Arrests, Attacks by Armed Men, and Police Violence According to the villagers, at approximately 4 am on the morning of March 4, 2005, police under the command of Lt. Col. Mohammad Ammar conducted a raid on the village, breaking into homes and arresting seven men. The arrested men were presented to the prosecution office on March 5, and based on Officer Ammar's police report were charged with stealing Nawar's crops and preventing him from visiting his lands, although ownership of the lands in question is disputed.3 Incidentally, Officer Ammar remains in his post despite being under investigation in the beating of a pregnant woman, Khayriya Abd al Minem al Baqali, resulting in bleeding that required hospitalization.4 The beating is alleged to have taken place during a similar January 5, 2005 raid by security forces on the village.

Villagers report that at approximately 7 am a large number of men led by members of the Nawar family and armed with guns and swords arrived in Sarando with gasoline trucks and tractors. The group began destroying crops. The remaining villagers, including large numbers of women and children, resisted the attack and were beaten by the attackers. Their cries brought men from the surrounding hamlets, and the combined numbers eventually forced the armed men to flee. However, during the fighting one of the armed men was killed, reportedly by gunfire, an unknown number of villagers were injured, including some reportedly injured by gunfire, and tractors were burned.5 The remaining male villagers, fearing retribution, fled the area.

A large number of police under the command of Mohammed Ammar arrived at approximately 10 am and began arresting and harassing villagers. Women interviewed by human rights activists described police breaking into homes, stealing food and valuables and destroying furnishings, beating women who attempted to protect their husbands and sons, and taking women and children into custody when wanted male relatives could not be found.

According to villagers and human rights activists, at least thirteen women are known to have been arrested in the March 4 raid, as well as at least five young children: a nine-year-old girl, a six-year-old boy, a five-year-old girl, a two-year-old girl, and a two-year-old boy. Their place of detention is still not known. At least one of the women detained in a later raid was reportedly forced to leave behind a days old infant.

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