The Top Criminal Justice Schools published last month a list of the 10 Most Brutal Police Forces on Earth. Egypt’s police force proudly beat Iran and North Korea’s police forces to come in third place just behind Mexico and Pakistan. Based on Egypt’s police force performance in the first two months of 2012, we are certain they will manage to crack the Top 2 in next year’s list. As you'll notice in the excerpt below most of the incriminating information come courtesy of NGOs in Egypt. This may partly explain the raids and the ongoing legal case against international and local NGOs in Egypt.
Egypt’s police force is well known for its brutally straightforward methods of extracting information. NGOs estimate that there are hundreds of torture incidents each day in Cairo alone, many of which incorporate electric shocks and which are aimed at extorting self-incriminating confessions. People on the right side of the legal system aren’t safe either: even human rights lawyers have reportedly been attacked and beaten up while attempting to visit their clients. The causes of such brutality are deeply rooted: before the Arab Spring the police were an instrument of repression for the old regime, and many officers have evidently found it difficult to shake off old habits. When added to the usual suspects of poor training, understaffing and ill discipline, this has led to many ongoing issues surrounding police handling of suspects and prisoners.Image: We Are All Khaled Said
