Amnesty: Egypt uses prosecution branch to crush dissent

Amnesty International has published a new report accusing Egypt’s government of using a special prosecution agency focused on counterterrorism to detain peaceful protesters, journalists and critics on trumped-up charges without trial

Amnesty International says Egypt is using a security agency set up to fight terrorism to detain peaceful protesters, journalists and critics on trumped-up charges without trial.

The London-based rights group said in a report Wednesday that Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution, or SSSP, has become central to President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s sweeping crackdown on dissent.

Philip Luther, Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa director, says the SSSP “has stretched the definition of ‘terrorism’ to encompass peaceful protests, social media posts and legitimate political activities.”

The report says the government uses the secretive agency to whitewash allegations of torture and to keep thousands of political opponents detained on charges of terrorism without legal recourse.

It says the agency’s activities have tripled since el-Sissi came to power in 2013.