- CAIRO: Egyptian rights groups have accused Egyptian authorities of carrying out random arrests after this month's attack on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo, citing it as another example of a return to the ways of ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
Security forces detained around 200 people after Egyptians took part in a protest on Sept. 9 at the embassy. The protesters stormed the embassy building and clashed with police. Three people died and more than 1,000 were injured.
Those in custody could be tried in special security courts under emergency laws still in place after Mubarak's ouster.
Rights officials said many of those arrested were bystanders or passersby in the residential district, which is near Cairo University and Giza Zoo. The arrests have stoked fears of a return to tough tactics police used under Mubarak.
"We are getting reports that many of those detained were not related to the attacks and just happened to be in the area at that time," said Gamal Eid, head of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, describing the government response as "hysterical.”
"Security officials during Mubarak's time simply used to detain every one who was around and now the same thing has happened in the attacks on the Israeli Embassy," Eid said.