The Maat Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Studies expresses its deep concern over the incidents of assault on women activists and journalists during the peaceful demonstrations that took place on Wednesday 25 May to call for a boycott of the referendum on amending the constitution.

The targeting of women and girls by tearing their clothes, harassing them, and tampering with their bodies in the demonstrations that took place in front of the shrine of Saad Zaghloul, in front of the Syndicate of Journalists and in front of the Bar Association, which proves that what the security personnel and NDP gangs committed was not isolated events or individual criminal initiatives, but rather an implementation For specific instructions aimed at humiliating women with these despicable means, and breaking the souls of their colleagues, who were prevented by severe beatings from helping their colleagues.

All the testimonies agreed, without any exception, that the attack on women in the demonstrations was carried out in front of the eyes of security officers wearing uniforms, and sometimes at their direct instructions.

There is no doubt that these heinous crimes and this escalation unprecedented in the history of Egypt would never have taken place without the knowledge and perhaps directives of the Minister of Interior personally. However, whether or not Habib Al-Adli was involved should not change anything. The dismissal of the minister is obligatory simply because of the occurrence of these crimes against women whose guilt was that they exercised their right to peacefully express their opinion, or went out to perform their professional duty in documenting government repression of political opponents.

Hence, the Maat Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Studies announces and supports the call for a day of national mourning next Wednesday, corresponding to June 1, when all the men and women of Egypt who were sore by what happened and shaken their consciences will wear black clothes throughout the day in a silent protest. Its only demand is to dismiss the Minister of Interior