The four-member group, which went to Egypt in late March but
has followed later events closely from Geneva, also called on the interim
military authorities to move quickly to lift the long-standing state of
emergency.
“Most legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people for
change remain to be translated into concrete democratic institutional forms,”
said the four, all experts from the office of UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights Navi Pillay.
While there was relief in the country that a huge hurdle had
been overcome with the departure of Mubarak after 30 years and the dismantling
of his ruling NDP party, “there is still a very long way to achieve democracy
and respect for all human rights.”
Full freedom of expression and of demonstration should be
ensured and all detained protesters and political prisoners released, while
those suspected of committing serious rights violations like torture should be
investigated and tried.
The authorities should publicly declare that torture would
no longer be tolerated, trials of civilians before military courts should be
stopped, and all sectors of the population be involved in preparation for free
and fair elections, they said.
The long-awaited UN report noted what it called “very
important achievements” since the uprising — part of an “Arab Spring” that has
swept from Tunisia across North Africa and the Middle East.
Among these were the registration of political parties and
independent trade unions, moves to bring human rights violators to justice and
preparations for elections for a new parliament and president later this year.
But, the report said, “the reversal of decades of abusive
policies cannot easily be achieved and if Egyptians are to trust the state and
its institutions, authorities must remain vigilant and ensure full respect for
human rights.
“It will be important for the authorities to ensure that
tangible results are attained in the effort to combat past abuses and impunity
and to ensure accountability at all levels, so that justice is both done and
perceived to be done.” The report, in terms similar to one issued by another
Pillay team that went to Tunisia after the ouster of its long-ruling president
Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, was in tune with comments this week by Egyptian
democracy campaigners.
At demonstrations in Cairo and Alexandria on Monday to mark
the first anniversary of the police killing of an activist, campaigners said
they were reminding the authorities they would not allow a return to the old
system.
At least 846 people died in the January and February events
and more than 6,000 were injured, mainly at the hands of security forces and
thugs believed to have been hired by Mubarak officials. Many others disappeared
into jails.
