Amnesty international accuses Egypt's council of breaching rights

Nov 21, 2011, 22:56 GMT

Cairo - The London-based Amnesty International said Tuesday that Egypt's ruling military council have 'completely failed' to protect human rights while dispersing protests in the country.

The Amnesty report accused the military Council of adopting oppressive means which were used by the ousted regime of Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak.

'The violent policing seen over the weekend is reminiscent of the repression during the 'January 25 revolution' and security forces relied on the same old patterns of abuse as under the three decades of Mubarak's rule,' the statement said.

The report comes after three days of clashes between security forces and protesters in Egypt which were calling for a transition to civilian rule. At least 33 people have been killed.

'While the Egyptian authorities have a duty to maintain law and order, they must not use excessive force to crack down on peaceful protests, something that poses a severe threat to Egyptians' rights to assembly and freedom of expression.'

The military council took control of the country after Mubarak's fall in February.