Zakawer/2013 Egyptian political crisis | |||||
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Part of the Egyptian Crisis and the Arab Winter | |||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||
Mohamed Morsi (President of Egypt) Hesham Qandil (Prime Minister of Egypt) Saad El-Katatni (Chairman of the FJP) Mohammed Badie (Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood) Khairat el-Shater (Deputy Chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood) |
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Deputy PM and Minister of Defense) Sedki Sobhi (Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces) Mohamed Ibrahim (Minister of Interior) |
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Post-coup unrest in Egypt (2013–2014) Supporters Opponents Family
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On 3 July 2013, following mass protests in Egypt against the presidency of the Muslim Brotherhood-aligned president Mohamed Morsi, Defense Minister General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced the removal of Morsi from office and the suspension of the Egyptian constitution. The move came after Sisi's ultimatum for the Morsi government to "resolve its differences" with opponents during the aforementioned mass protests. Because of Morsi's refusal to agree to the deadline, he was removed from office. The military arrested Morsi and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders, and declared Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, Adly Mansour, as the interim president of Egypt. The announcement was followed by demonstrations and clashes between supporters and opponents of the move throughout Egypt. [2] The military's action was supported by the Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei, [3] as well as the tens of millions of protesters who protested against Morsi. However, Morsi, his supporters, and the Muslim Brotherhood strongly condemned the overthrow of Morsi himself, calling the incident a coup d'état. The incident is generally considered to be part of the Arab Winter by observers.
There were mixed international reactions to this particular incident. Most Arab governments were generally supportive or neutral, with the exception of the Qatari and interim Tunisian governments at the time, which strongly condemned the incident. The removal of Morsi was also sharply condemned by the government of Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as well. Under the presidency of Barack Obama, the United States—which regards Egypt as a " major non-NATO ally" and is a significant supplier of foreign aid to the North African country—notably refused to describe the incident as a coup. Several other states expressed more general concern over the interruption of the country's post-Arab Spring democratic transition and the turmoil that followed shortly afterward, but still expressed hope that the democratic transition would resume as normal. Due to the regulations of the African Union regarding the interruption of constitutional rule by a member state, Egypt was temporarily suspended from that union. There had also been some debate in the media regarding the labeling of these events. Many media outlets and observers have called the incident a "coup d'état," echoing arguments made by the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters; however, it, alongside the protests that preceded it, is considered to be part of a popular revolution (referred to as the "30 June Revolution") by proponents of Morsi's overthrow (including the Egyptians who participated in the protests at the time, as well as the current Egyptian government under the presidency of Abdel. Owing to the negative connotations of the term "coup d'état," its use to describe the incident became contentious among participants of the anti-Morsi protests, [4] and the term has also been rejected by the Egyptian Armed Forces, the brief interim government appointed in 2013, and Sisi himself.
Due to the African Union's policies regarding unconstitutional changes of government, Egypt's membership in the organization was suspended for one year. The removal of Morsi from office strained Egypt's diplomatic ties with Turkey and Qatar significantly for several years, while also resulting in a simultaneous improvement in the country's relationship with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. It also led to the escalation of a jihadist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula, which the Egyptian army had been actively combating in the years since, though the insurgency has been largely defeated as of 2023. The Muslim Brotherhood was designated as a terrorist organization by Egypt in December 2013, and the organization continues to remain barred from participating in the country's politics, as it was prior to the Arab Spring.
In 2014, Sisi himself was later elected president, and Egypt's membership in the African Union was subsequently restored.
Morsi later died at the age of 67 on 17 June 2019, during a court session.
In February 2011, Hosni Mubarak resigned after 18 days of mass demonstrations that ended his 29-year rule of Egypt. In July 2011, the caretaker government spearheaded by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces approved an election law, leading to election of a Parliament in December 2011–January 2012, and an advisory council in January–February 2012. An alliance led by the Freedom and Justice Party, a political party linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, won the most seats in each election. An additional 25% of the members of the advisory council were to be appointed by the President. In June 2012, Mohamed Morsi won the presidential election with 51.73% of total votes, becoming the first Egyptian president to gain power purely through an election. [2] [6] [7] In June 2012, prior to Morsi being sworn in as President, the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that the election law was unconstitutional and ordered the elected bodies dissolved. After assuming office, President Morsi appointed additional members to the advisory council from 35 political parties and invited the elected bodies to meet to discuss the ruling of the court.
The elected parliament determined that the constitutional court did not have authority to dissolve an elected parliament, then referred the matter to the Court of Cassation. The elected parliament could not pass any laws, but the advisory council continued to give advice on proposed Presidential Decrees. The Parliament also proceeded with creation of a new constitutional committee to draft amendments to the Egyptian Constitution, replacing the committee created in March 2012 but dissolved by the constitutional court. Proposed constitutional amendments were approved in December 2012 by a national referendum. New elections were scheduled for April 2013 under a law approved in draft by the constitutional court, but were postponed to October 2013 to comply with a technical order of an administrative court. [8] [9]
On 28 April 2013, Tamarod was started as a grassroots movement to collect signatures to remove Morsi by 30 June. They called for peaceful demonstrations across Egypt especially in front of the Presidential Palace in Cairo. [10] The movement was supported by the National Salvation Front, April 6 Youth Movement and Strong Egypt Party, though the latter of the three later denounced Morsi's removal and decried it as a "military coup." [11] [12]
At a conference on 15 June, Morsi called for foreign intervention in Syria. [13] According to Yasser El-Shimy, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, this statement crossed "a national security red line." The army rebuked this statement the next day by stating that its only role was to guard Egypt's borders. Although the Egyptian constitution ostensibly declares the president as the supreme commander of the armed forces, the Egyptian military is independent of civilian control. [14]
As the first anniversary of Morsi's presidential inauguration approached in 2013, his organization and affiliates such as the National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy started demonstrations at multiple places including El-Hossary Mosque, El-Nahda Square, outside of Cairo University, at the Rabaa el-Adaweya Mosque, outside of Al-Rayan Mosque in the posh suburb of Maadi, and in the Ain Shams district. They had started open-ended rallies. [15] The largest protest was planned for 30 June. [16]
The removal of Morsi from office followed protests that were instigated by frustration with Morsi's year-long rule in which Egypt faced economic issues, energy shortages, lack of security and diplomatic crises. Some of the issues that might have caused the protests and lead to the later removal of Morsi include:
On Friday 28 June, protests against Morsi started to build throughout Egypt including in such cities as Cairo, Alexandria, Dakahlia, Gharbiya and Aswan as a "warm up" for the massive protests expected on 30 June that were planned by Tamarod. Pro-Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood supporters started counter demonstrations at the Rabia Al-Adawiya Mosque in Nasr City days beforeward. [33]
Prior to the protests, Christians, particularly in Upper Egypt, received threats from pro-Morsi protestors, pressuring them not to take part in the protests. Sheikh Essam Abdulamek, a member of parliament's Shura Council, said in an interview on television that Christians should not participate in the protests and warned them that they "[may] not sacrifice [their] children [since the] general Muslim opinion [would] not be silent about the ousting of the president." [16]
According to information that came out after the removal of Morsi, officials argued that Morsi stopped working at the Egyptian Presidential Palace on 26 June in anticipation to the protests and moved with his family to El-Quba Palace. [34]
On 29 June, Tamarod argued that it collected more than 22 million signatures from a petition calling for Morsi to step down as president. [35] [36]
On 30 June, 14 million to 33 million protesters demonstrated across Egypt against Morsi bellowing their anger at the Brotherhood, which they accused of hijacking Egypt's 2011 revolution and using electoral victories to monopolize power and impose Islamic law. [37] Thousands in support of Morsi gathered in Rabaa Square in Cairo and other cities in a counterprotest, with majority of Islamist sentiments. [38] The number of protesters is generally accepted to be somewhere between 14 million and 33 million. [39] In Damietta, 250 fishing boat sailors demonstrated against Morsi by sailing through the Nile and chanting against him. [40] The President moved that day from the Quba Palace to the Republican Guard headquarters, while protesters thought he was at Ittihadeya Palace. [34]
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On 1 July, again more than 1 millions of demonstrators against Morsi gathered in Tahrir Square and outside the presidential palace, while other demonstrations were held in the cities of Alexandria, Port Said and Suez. [41] Some police officers wearing their uniforms joined the anti-Morsi protests and chanted: "The police and the people are one." [42] In clashes around the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Mokatam, eight people died. Their headquarters was ransacked and burned while protesters threw objects at windows and looted the building, making off with office equipment and documents. [43] Tamarod gave President Mohamed Morsi until 2 July at 17:00 to resign or face a civil disobedience campaign. [44] That was followed by the Egyptian Armed Forces issuing a 48-hour ultimatum that gave the country's political parties until 3 July to meet the demands of the Egyptian people. The Egyptian military also threatened to intervene if the dispute was not resolved by then. [45] Four ministers also resigned on the same day: Tourism Minister Hisham Zazou (who previously offered to resign a few months earlier after Morsi appointed an Islamist member of al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, the group responsible of the Luxor massacre, as governor of Luxor), Communication and IT Minister Atef Helmi, State Minister for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Hatem Bagato, and State Minister for Environmental Affairs Khaled Abdel Aal, [46] leaving the government with only members of the Freedom and Justice Party. On the same day, it was reported that President of the United States Barack Obama called Morsi. The call went along the United States' vision, and argued that the only option in the stressed situation would be to call for an early general presidential election in which Morsi is not a candidate, to which Morsi answered,"The Egyptian people decide", before closing the line. [47]
On 2 July, opponents and supporters of Morsi gathered in the capital, Cairo, as the deadline set by the military for him to leave power passed. [44] Helicopters were also present around Cairo with armored vehicles taking up positions. [48] On 3 July, clashes between protestors and local residents erupted around a pro-Morsi rally near Cairo University, leaving 18 people dead. [49] Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr also resigned, in support of the anti-government protesters. [50] The presidency rejected the Egyptian Army's 48-hour ultimatum, vowing that the president would pursue his own plans for national reconciliation to resolve the political crisis. [51] Defense Minister General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was also said to have told Morsi that he would impose a military solution if a political one could not be found by the next day. [48] Incidentally, the Court of Cassation ordered the reinstatement of former general prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud who was replaced with Talaat Abdallah following the constitutional declaration on 22 November 2012. [52] The presidential spokesman and the spokesman for the cabinet resigned as well. [53]
The newspaper Al-Ahram reported that if there were no political resolution, the military would suspend the constitution of Egypt and appoint a new council of experts to draft a new one, institute a three-person executive council, and appoint a prime minister who had a military background. [54] Morsi's military advisor, Sami Hafez Anan, also resigned and said that the army would not "abandon the will of the people." [55]
In a late-night television address Morsi declared that he would "defend the legitimacy of his elected office with his life." [56] He added that "there is no substitute for legitimacy" as he vowed not to resign. [57] Morsi accused supporters of Hosni Mubarak of exploiting the wave of protests to topple the government and fight democracy. [58] After Morsi's statement, an official Facebook page of the Egyptian Armed Forces wrote a post under the title "The Last Hours" saying in response to Morsi: "The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces had mentioned before that it is better for us to die rather than seeing the Egyptian people being threatened or horrified. And we swear that we would sacrifice our lives and our blood for Egypt against every terrorist, extremist or ignorant. Long live Egypt." [59] [60]
As the deadline of the army's ultimatum approached on 3 July, there was renewed expectation of an increase in violence, according to the media. [61] As in other days, there were both anti-Morsi and pro-Morsi protests, the latter particularly in Nasr City and near Cairo University. Army tanks were reported to surround two smaller pro-Morsi rallies as the demonstrators vowed to defend the government with their lives. [62]
As the 16:35 deadline set by the army approached, the coalition met with the military leaders for emergency talks, with the expectation that the army would issue a statement when the deadline passed. Mohamed El-Baradei, who was chosen to represent the National Salvation Front, was also said to have met army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. [63]
On 3 July, General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, defense minister and commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces, announced that he would be calling new presidential and parliamentary elections. The coalition appointed Chief Justice Adly Mansour as the interim president, and tasked him with forming a transitional technocratic government. [64] Military vehicles drove throughout Cairo. Morsi was put under house arrest, [64] [65] and was believed to be at the Republican Guard barracks. [66] According to other sources, he was taken to a military base and his travel was restricted. [67] Army troops and tanks were reported to have surrounded key facilities and installations. [68] At noon, the Republican Guard, who had Morsi in their care, left his side to allow Army commandos to take him to an undisclosed Ministry of Defense building. He offered no resistance. [34]
Sisi said: "The president's speech last night failed to meet and conform with the demands [of the people, prompting the armed forces to consult] with some of the symbols of the national forces and the youths without excluding anyone. [They agreed on a road map] that includes initial steps that realize the building of a strong and coherent Egyptian society that does not exclude any of its sons and currents and that end the state of conflict and division." [69] He added the army was standing apart from the political process but was using its vision as the Egyptian people were calling for help and discharged its responsibility. [70] Al-Sisi named former Chief Justice Adli Mansour as the interim president and added that he would be sworn in on 4 July. The Shura Council was also dissolved. [71] Morsi condemned his removal as a "full coup" by the general. He also urged everyone to "adhere to peacefulness and avoid shedding blood of fellow countrymen." [72] The Office of Assistant to the President of Egypt on Foreign Relations called Morsi's removal a "military coup", [73] [74] and said "there is no democracy without the ballot box". [75]
The announcement of the removal of Morsi was met with cheers in Tahrir Square. [76] Anti-Morsi protesters shouted " Allahu akbar" and "Long live Egypt" and launched fireworks [72] as green laser lights held by those in the crowd lit the sky. [77] Mohamed ElBaradei argued that the removal of Morsi was to rectify the issues of the 2011 revolution. The Coptic Pope Tawadros II, Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb, Mohamed ElBaradei [78] and some of the youth leaders of Tamarod, Mahmoud Badr and Mohamed Abdelaziz, spoke in support of the military intervention. The al-Nour party also commented in saying that the events occurred as they were not heard in their call for dialogue. Party Secretary-General Galal Murra commented that: "we took this position (on agreeing to the army political road map) and we took these decisions only so we stop the bloodshed of our people." [79] Pro-Morsi protesters heard a statement from Morsi, which was published on his Facebook page. He called the move a "coup d'état" and rejected the Armed Forces' statement.
The Freedom and Justice Party's Gamal Heshmat said: "There is absolutely no direction towards violence. The Brotherhood are not raised on violence. Their cause is a peaceful one, defending their rights, which is stronger than a military coup. The army has perpetrated a shameful coup. We are still in the street, we still don't know if all of the armed forces will accept what Sisi has done." [80] A party spokesman said that what had started as a "military coup" was "turning into something much more." [81] The National Salvation Front, an alliance of multiple political parties, stated on 4 July: "What Egypt is witnessing now is not a military coup by any standards. It was a necessary decision that the Armed Forces leadership took to protect democracy, maintain the country's unity and integrity, restore stability and get back on track towards achieving the goals of the January 25 Revolution." [82]
According to Morsi, he was kidnapped by the Armed Forces and held at the Republican Guard headquarters one day before the army announced his removal, and held there until 5 July 2013, after which he and his aide were forcibly moved to a naval base for the next four months. [83] [84] [85] His family had stated earlier Morsi was kidnapped on 3 July 2013. [86] The spokesperson of the Egyptian Armed Forces, Colonel Ahmed Ali later denied allegations that Morsi was badly treated, saying they had nothing to hide. [87] The Egyptian Armed Forces later granted permission to Catherine Ashton—the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the European Union—to meet Morsi. Ashton later stated that Morsi was doing well: "Morsi was keeping up with the latest developments in the country through television and newspapers. So we were able to talk about the situation, and we were able to talk about the need to move forward. The people around him do care for him. I looked at the facilities." [88] [89] [90] Morsi could later meet an African Union delegation too. [87]
The army arrested the former speaker of parliament and the head of the Freedom and Justice Party, Saad El-Katatni, along with Rashad al-Bayoumi, a Muslim Brotherhood deputy, [91] as well as other top leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood. [92] Al-Jazeera quoted unnamed security officials saying that "more than a dozen" members of the Muslim Brotherhood had been arrested, [93] while Al-Ahram reported that the Egyptian police had been ordered to arrest more than 300 members of the Muslim Brotherhood. [94] A travel ban was also put on Morsi, the head of his Muslim Brotherhood Mohammed Badie, Badie's deputy Khairat El-Shater, the Muslim Brotherhood's former leader Mahdi Akef, another Muslim Brotherhood figure Mohamed Beltagy, Salafi preacher close to the Muslim Brotherhood Safwat Hegazi and the leader of the al-Wasat Party, Abou Elela Mady and his deputy Essam Sultan. [2] Badie and Akef were arrested for "incitement to murder." [81]
Following Morsi's removal from office, pro-Morsi supporters still gathered in Cairo stated that they would undo the "coup" and continued their allegiance to Morsi, saying that they would "defend the integrity of the ballot box." Amidst threats of violence, Al Jazeera English reported the death of four people from a Muslim Brotherhood stronghold near the Libyan border.[ citation needed]
Police forces made statements against four controversial pro-Brotherhood television channels and took them off the air. [95] [96] Misr 25, a channel owned by Muslim Brotherhood loyalists, was shut down and officials said that journalists working for the channel were arrested. [93] The Al-Hafez and Al-Nas channels were shut down as well, but the latter has since been revived. A few hours later, Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr, which had been criticized for its pro-Morsi slant, also had its offices raided and its employees detained. [96] Five staff were arrested, including managing director Ayman Gaballah, who was still in custody after the others were released. It was also prevented from broadcasting a pro-Brotherhood protest in northern Cairo. The network has since moved to Doha.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that two journalists and one student died while covering pro-Morsi protests in the two weeks leading up to July 8, 2013. [97] According to CPJ research, before those deaths, only four journalists had been killed in Egypt since 1992. [97] One of the journalists who died while documenting the pro-Morsi protests was 26-year-old photographer Ahmed Assem el-Senousy, also known as Ahmed Samir Assem. [97] [98] [99] The photographer was shot by a sniper after he recorded clashes between police and protesters. [98] [99] According to media reports, el-Senousy may have captured his own death on film. A video clip posted on his Facebook page shows a sniper firing on crowds before turning toward the camera, at which point the clip abruptly ends. [98] [99]
According to the CPJ, the BBC's Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen, was hit in the head by shotgun pellets while reporting for the BBC. [97] However, he escaped without major injury, and was taken away by his colleagues and bandaged up. [100]
On 4 July, violence continued with over 100 people wounded and at least two deaths, believed to be that of children. [81] The Muslim Brotherhood's spokesman called for "strictly peaceful" protests to defy the "military coup". [101] The Armed Forces said that it would guarantee the right to peacefully protest. Other Islamist groups threatened armed retaliation, while the police arrested four armed men on 5 July over allegations that they had planned a reprisal attack, according to state-run Al-Ahram. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces added that it would protect all groups from revenge attacks and that Egyptian values "do not allow for gloating." [81]
Protests after Friday prayers were called by Morsi supporters, now in opposition, and termed "Rejection Friday." That morning, troops fought pro-Morsi rioters at the Republican Guard headquarters in which Morsi was believed to be held, leading to 51 deaths. [102] Pro-Morsi witnesses claimed that the military opened fire without provocation towards the end of morning prayers, immediately using live ammunition and shooting to kill. [103] [104] At least 51 people were killed and 435 were injured. Though the Egyptian Armed Forces denied firing at the protesters, BBC News reporter Jeremy Bowen argued that he saw soldiers firing on protesters. [105] In Qena, rioters attempted to storm a security building, only for riot police to shoot at then, injuring two. Shots were also fired in Alexandria. [105] This occurred as several Egyptians took to the streets to protest against the anti-Morsi uprising. [106] While otherwise respecting all sides, the military also issued a statement warning Islamists who planned on protesting. [106] Tamarod, which had organized anti-Morsi protests, called for protests to "protect the revolution." [105] During the night, pro- and anti-Morsi demonstrators clashed over the 6th October Bridge; at least two people were killed and more than 70 people were injured, according to state television, who quoted medical personnel at a makeshift hospital in the square. At least three deaths were that of Morsi supporters during the march towards the military barracks after the Friday prayer in Cairo. [107] In all, through the night of rioting, throughout the country 30 people were killed. Pro-Morsi demonstrators continued to call for protests. [108] Protesters continued to demand the reinstatement of Morsi throughout the weekend, some of which were violent protests. [109]
Palestinian officials in Gaza also said that the Egyptian Armed Forces had shut down the Rafah border crossing, and that only certain people, such as patients and students, would be allowed through. Egyptian Intelligence Service official Nader al-Asar telephoned Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh on the afternoon of 5 July, and Haniyeh briefed him about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a result of the restrictions on tunnels and the Rafah crossing. Al-Asar promised to seek remedies on the situation. [110]
After dawn prayers on 8 July, clashes erupted between pro-Morsi protesters and the army at the Republican Guard compound. According to the army, a militia tried to storm the compound, and one officer and 42 other people were injured. [111] On the other hand, the Muslim Brotherhood claimed that 42 of its supporters were killed and over 300 were injured after shootings that followed the police storming their sit-in demanding the reinstatement of Morsi. Brotherhood member Mohamed Beltagy described the incident as a "massacre" during dawn prayers. [112] After the incident, the Freedom and Justice Party called for "the international community and international groups and all the free people of the world [to] intervene to stop further massacres [...] and prevent a new Syria in the Arab world." [113] The Nour party said it would suspend taking part in the political process as a response to the deadly clashes. And Ahmed el-Hawary, a founding member of the al-Dustour party and a member of the 30 June Front, said: "We cannot blame the Muslim Brotherhood without blaming the army. They are both held accountable for this catastrophe...The Brotherhood is playing victims to gain international sympathy yet losing whatever is left of the sympathy at home. A speedy formation of the new cabinet is essential at this point, and although consensus is critical. Egypt must not be the hostage of a concurrence based on non-pertinent arguments." [114] At the same time, Morsi supporters were alleged to have forced two soldiers, Samir Abdallah Ali and Azzam Hazem Ali, to make pro-Morsi statements on a loudspeaker and that one of them was "severely beaten up" and filmed while making the statements. However, an army official later said that they had "managed to escape their captors." [115]
On 8 July, following reports that many fighters in Syria were returning in support of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt slapped restrictions on Syrians entering the country and required them to obtain visas before entering the country. [116] An arrest warrant was issued against Mohamed Badie also as the party refused to join a transitional government. [117]The Muslim Brotherhood vowed to continue its resistance to the removal of Morsi. In a statement, it disavowed itself from an assassination attempt against a senior army commander in the Sinai Peninsula on 10 July and claimed that it adheres to "peaceful" measures. The statement also read: "We will continue our peaceful resistance to the bloody military coup against constitutional legitimacy. We trust that the peaceful and popular will of the people shall triumph over force and oppression." [118] The public prosecutor[ who?] issued a freeze on the assets of the Muslim Brotherhood's leaders, as well as other supporters pending investigations in ongoing cases related to events in al-Mokatam, al-Nahda square and the Republican Guards Club. This would affect Mohamed Badie, Khairat al-Shater, Mohamed Ezat, Mahi Ekef, Saed ElKatatni, Essam ElErian, Mohamed ElBeltagy and the Muslim Brotherhood's allies, including Essam Sultan, Assem Abdul Majed, Safwat Hegazy and Hazem Abu Ismail, will also be affected by the freeze. [119]
In addition to continuing daily protests, the Muslim Brotherhood called for more protests after Friday prayers on 19 July. [120] The protests were held in Cairo and Alexandria with two formations of fighter jets flying over both cities after noon prayers ended, and some military helicopters flew low over rooftops in Cairo. Among the tens of thousands of protesters present, they chanted "Islamic, Islamic" calling for an Islamic state. [121] The protests again turned violent and fatal in Cairo and Qalyoub on 22 July. [122] Morsi's family also held a press conference in Cairo in which his children accused the military of kidnapping him, as well as announcing local and international legal measures they had initiated against then-Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. [123]
On 14 August 2013, Egyptian security forces raided two camps of protesters in Cairo: a smaller one at al-Nahda Square and a larger one at Rabaa al-Adawiya Mosque. The two sites had been occupied by supporters of the overthrown Mohamed Morsi. The camps were raided by force, after initiatives to end the over one-month-old sit-ins by peaceful means had failed.
According to the Egyptian Health Ministry, 638 people were killed on 14 August, of which 595 were protesters and 43 were police officers, with at least 3,994 injured. However, the Muslim Brotherhood and National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy (NCSL) claimed that 2,600 people were killed. Violent retaliation followed in several cities across the country. The interim government declared a month-long state of emergency to prevent further protests, and curfews were instituted in many areas. The total casualty count made 14 August the deadliest day since the 2011 Egyptian revolution which toppled Hosni Mubarak.
A poll by the Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research later showed that 67% of Egyptians were satisfied about the method in which the Rabaa al-Adaweya and Nahda sit-ins were dispersed. [124] [125] [126]
During its 2014 investigation of the Rabaa sit-in dispersal, the U.S.-based human rights organization Human Rights Watch said that it had documented at least 817 protester deaths during the dispersal, while suggesting that up to 1,000 protesters may have been killed during the incident. HRW suggested that the sit-in dispersal, and in particular the use of force by security forces during it, may have constituted crimes against humanity, with the organization's executive director at the time, Kenneth Roth, calling it "one of the world's largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history". [127]
After Morsi's overthrow, Egypt's Christian minority, a reported 6–12% of the population, had been the target of sectarian divide tactics by pro-Brotherhood and other Islamist groups over their support for the uprising and the subsequent removal of Morsi from office. [128] On 5 July 2013 — two days after Morsi was ousted—pro-Morsi mobs rampaged through the Christian village of Nagaa Hassan, burning dozens of homes, ransacking stores and stabbing to death at least four people. This included the pro-revolution Christian activist Emile Naseem, who was hacked and beaten to death. [128] Dozens of Christian families sought protection in a local church. [129]
In Port Said's al-Manakh, masked gunmen loyal to Morsi opened fire at the Mar Mina Church. [130] Since 30 June, mobs carried out attacks on Christians in six out of Egypt's twenty-seven provinces. [128] Churches across Egypt have canceled their evening Mass and social activities. [128] Other incidents include Coptic Christian priest Mina Abboud Sharobeen being killed in an outdoor market. [131]
Ramy Jan, a Christian journalist and Muslim Brotherhood supporter, claimed that Islamist violence against Copts was rather fabricated and that Muslims would not commit any type of sectarian violence. He dismissed all previously-mentioned incidents as "accusations" against Islamists, to which he reacted by starting the Christians Against the Coup movement in demand of "reestablishing democracy", joining with his movement the Islamist Anti-Coup Alliance. [132] However, Jan's credibility, and that of the group he supposedly represented, was severely challenged when it was revealed that he was also in fact a member of the Egyptian Nazi Party. [133]
The day after Morsi was removed, extremist militants staged multiple attacks on security forces in the Sinai and Suez. One soldier was killed and two others were wounded at a police station near the local headquarters of military intelligence in Rafah as it was attacked by rocket fire. Attackers also fired rocket-propelled grenades at army checkpoints guarding El-Arish Airport. [134] A protest by hundreds of people occurred in Al-Arish the day after the ouster with calls to form a war council to combat the army. Ten areas in north Sinai were witness to clashes, including the Central Security Force camp and a number of checkpoints along the ring road. The airport was also closed after being targeted by unidentified armed men. [135]
In late July 2013, the Egyptian military launched "Operation Sinai" in an effort to quash the militants. [136]
A constitutional referendum was held in early 2014. 38.6% of eligible voters participated in the referendum, held between January 14th and January 15th; 98.2% of those who voted had voted in favor, with the rest voting against. [137] This referendum reinstated the constitution with several amendments, allowing Egypt to return to the African Union later that year.
Later, a presidential election was held in late May 2014. A presidential run-off with only two candidates, the election, which saw a turnout of 47.5%, led to Sisi winning with 96.91% of the vote, compared to Hamdeen Sabahi's 3.09%. This election saw Egypt's first elected president since the 2013 events.
Then in late 2015, a parliamentary election was held. It saw the election of numerous parties to the House of Representatives, as well as 351 independent MPs. This election reinstated an elected legislature to the country after the removal of Morsi led to the suspension of the Shura Council.
Amid months of protests, and after his trial had started, Morsi said on 13 November 2013 that he was kidnapped by the military the day before his removal, and that the move was treason. [138]
The decision by the Egyptian military to take state authority out of the hands of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood government marks another sharp turning point in Egypt's incomplete revolution. What the Brotherhood neglected to understand is that democracy means more than simply holding elections. Real democracy requires inclusiveness, compromise, respect for human and minority rights, and a commitment to the rule of law. Morsi and his inner circle did not embrace any of these principles and instead chose to consolidate power and rule by fiat. As a result the Egyptian people and their economy suffered greatly. It is now up to the Egyptian military to demonstrate that the new transitional government can and will govern in a transparent manner and work to return the country to democratic rule. We are encouraged that a broad cross-section of Egyptians will gather to rewrite the constitution. All parties in Egypt must show restraint, prevent violence, and prepare to be productive players in the future democratic Egypt. We encourage the military to exercise extreme caution moving forward and support sound democratic institutions through which the people and future governments can flourish.
It wasn’t the military that plotted the seizure of the government and grabbed it. It was a massive public uprising that, left unchecked, would have produced great violence. It would have left the military in the miserable position of having to control those demonstrations by force. The cry from the crowd was they wanted new elections … to help decide the country's future, which has been so troubled. The military was faced with, genuinely overheated situation … It isn’t a coup in any classic sense and, yet, the military played a role in upsetting the government. We have to ask ourselves, then, finally, what are the interests of the United States? And here the president wisely has waiver authority and has to make a judgment. Egypt is the largest and most influential country in the Middle East. Egypt is central to peace with Israel. Egypt's fate will influence the course of politics elsewhere in the region. So we want to be very, very careful before we go out and condemn an event that has, by the most recent polling of Egypt's best pollsters, 80 percent support in the population. What is clear is the wave of anger against the government that drove Morsi from power, enjoyed massive, massive public support in the many, many millions of Egyptians.
"The military was asked to intervene by millions and millions of people, all of whom were afraid of a descendance into chaos, into violence. And the military did not take over, to the best of our judgement - so far. To run the country, there's a civilian government. In effect, they were restoring democracy." [190] [191]
Syrian state television carried live coverage of the anti-Morsi protests. [173] It also said of the statement that "Syria's people and leadership and army express their deep appreciation for the national, populist movement in Egypt which has yielded a great achievement." [196]
U.S. media noted that Obama did not call the removal of Morsi a coup. [197] If the President of the United States refers to an incident as a coup, then U.S. law requires them to cut off military and economic aid to the country where the incident took place, as was the case in Mauritania, Mali, Madagascar and Pakistan. The U.S. funds 20% of Egypt's military costs (US$1.3 billion) and gives another US$250 million in economic aid. [198] Al Jazeera claims that the refusal to term the events as a coup were tied with the U.S. stance in stopping military aid to countries that have perpetrated a coup. [153]
Media outlets noted that the UK government neither opposed the removal of Morsi, nor called for his regime to be restored to power. [140] Some media reports referred to the incident and the protests that preceded it as another revolution [199] or referred to the protest uprising as a revolution and the removal of Morsi as a coup. [200] There was also some debate as to whether the removal of Mohamed Morsi was a coup or not. [201] This debate was significant on Wikipedia, where this particular article created a major debate between users, mainly over the title, which several users argued was biased. [202]
Egyptian Americans, particularly in the Arab-dominated areas of Michigan, had mixed views of the event, with some wary of the Muslim Brotherhood, but also wary of usurping democratic rights following the Arab Spring which ended Mubarak's nearly 30-year-long authoritarian rule. [203]
Following numerous violent clashes in Egypt involving police and protesters that occurred in the aftermath of Morsi's removal from office, Amnesty International called on foreign governments to stop supplying further arms to the country. [204]
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WASHINGTON has decided to avoid the tricky question of whether the toppling of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi was a coup, which would have forced a freeze of US$1.5 billion (A$1.63 billion) in aid. 'The law does not require us to make a formal determination ... as to whether a coup took place, and it is not in our national interest to make such a determination,' State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Friday. She clearly signaled that for the time being millions of dollars in US military and economic assistance would continue to flow to Egypt, the most populous Arab country and a key regional ally.
Category:2013 in Egypt Category:2013 protests Category:Protest-related deaths Category:Protests in Egypt Category:Mohamed Morsi Category:Arab Winter in Egypt Category:Egyptian crisis (2011–2014)
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Mohamed Morsi (President of Egypt) Hesham Qandil (Prime Minister of Egypt) Saad El-Katatni (Chairman of the FJP) Mohammed Badie (Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood) Khairat el-Shater (Deputy Chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood) |
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On 3 July 2013, following mass protests in Egypt against the presidency of the Muslim Brotherhood-aligned president Mohamed Morsi, Defense Minister General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced the removal of Morsi from office and the suspension of the Egyptian constitution. The move came after Sisi's ultimatum for the Morsi government to "resolve its differences" with opponents during the aforementioned mass protests. Because of Morsi's refusal to agree to the deadline, he was removed from office. The military arrested Morsi and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders, and declared Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, Adly Mansour, as the interim president of Egypt. The announcement was followed by demonstrations and clashes between supporters and opponents of the move throughout Egypt. [2] The military's action was supported by the Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei, [3] as well as the tens of millions of protesters who protested against Morsi. However, Morsi, his supporters, and the Muslim Brotherhood strongly condemned the overthrow of Morsi himself, calling the incident a coup d'état. The incident is generally considered to be part of the Arab Winter by observers.
There were mixed international reactions to this particular incident. Most Arab governments were generally supportive or neutral, with the exception of the Qatari and interim Tunisian governments at the time, which strongly condemned the incident. The removal of Morsi was also sharply condemned by the government of Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as well. Under the presidency of Barack Obama, the United States—which regards Egypt as a " major non-NATO ally" and is a significant supplier of foreign aid to the North African country—notably refused to describe the incident as a coup. Several other states expressed more general concern over the interruption of the country's post-Arab Spring democratic transition and the turmoil that followed shortly afterward, but still expressed hope that the democratic transition would resume as normal. Due to the regulations of the African Union regarding the interruption of constitutional rule by a member state, Egypt was temporarily suspended from that union. There had also been some debate in the media regarding the labeling of these events. Many media outlets and observers have called the incident a "coup d'état," echoing arguments made by the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters; however, it, alongside the protests that preceded it, is considered to be part of a popular revolution (referred to as the "30 June Revolution") by proponents of Morsi's overthrow (including the Egyptians who participated in the protests at the time, as well as the current Egyptian government under the presidency of Abdel. Owing to the negative connotations of the term "coup d'état," its use to describe the incident became contentious among participants of the anti-Morsi protests, [4] and the term has also been rejected by the Egyptian Armed Forces, the brief interim government appointed in 2013, and Sisi himself.
Due to the African Union's policies regarding unconstitutional changes of government, Egypt's membership in the organization was suspended for one year. The removal of Morsi from office strained Egypt's diplomatic ties with Turkey and Qatar significantly for several years, while also resulting in a simultaneous improvement in the country's relationship with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. It also led to the escalation of a jihadist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula, which the Egyptian army had been actively combating in the years since, though the insurgency has been largely defeated as of 2023. The Muslim Brotherhood was designated as a terrorist organization by Egypt in December 2013, and the organization continues to remain barred from participating in the country's politics, as it was prior to the Arab Spring.
In 2014, Sisi himself was later elected president, and Egypt's membership in the African Union was subsequently restored.
Morsi later died at the age of 67 on 17 June 2019, during a court session.
In February 2011, Hosni Mubarak resigned after 18 days of mass demonstrations that ended his 29-year rule of Egypt. In July 2011, the caretaker government spearheaded by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces approved an election law, leading to election of a Parliament in December 2011–January 2012, and an advisory council in January–February 2012. An alliance led by the Freedom and Justice Party, a political party linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, won the most seats in each election. An additional 25% of the members of the advisory council were to be appointed by the President. In June 2012, Mohamed Morsi won the presidential election with 51.73% of total votes, becoming the first Egyptian president to gain power purely through an election. [2] [6] [7] In June 2012, prior to Morsi being sworn in as President, the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that the election law was unconstitutional and ordered the elected bodies dissolved. After assuming office, President Morsi appointed additional members to the advisory council from 35 political parties and invited the elected bodies to meet to discuss the ruling of the court.
The elected parliament determined that the constitutional court did not have authority to dissolve an elected parliament, then referred the matter to the Court of Cassation. The elected parliament could not pass any laws, but the advisory council continued to give advice on proposed Presidential Decrees. The Parliament also proceeded with creation of a new constitutional committee to draft amendments to the Egyptian Constitution, replacing the committee created in March 2012 but dissolved by the constitutional court. Proposed constitutional amendments were approved in December 2012 by a national referendum. New elections were scheduled for April 2013 under a law approved in draft by the constitutional court, but were postponed to October 2013 to comply with a technical order of an administrative court. [8] [9]
On 28 April 2013, Tamarod was started as a grassroots movement to collect signatures to remove Morsi by 30 June. They called for peaceful demonstrations across Egypt especially in front of the Presidential Palace in Cairo. [10] The movement was supported by the National Salvation Front, April 6 Youth Movement and Strong Egypt Party, though the latter of the three later denounced Morsi's removal and decried it as a "military coup." [11] [12]
At a conference on 15 June, Morsi called for foreign intervention in Syria. [13] According to Yasser El-Shimy, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, this statement crossed "a national security red line." The army rebuked this statement the next day by stating that its only role was to guard Egypt's borders. Although the Egyptian constitution ostensibly declares the president as the supreme commander of the armed forces, the Egyptian military is independent of civilian control. [14]
As the first anniversary of Morsi's presidential inauguration approached in 2013, his organization and affiliates such as the National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy started demonstrations at multiple places including El-Hossary Mosque, El-Nahda Square, outside of Cairo University, at the Rabaa el-Adaweya Mosque, outside of Al-Rayan Mosque in the posh suburb of Maadi, and in the Ain Shams district. They had started open-ended rallies. [15] The largest protest was planned for 30 June. [16]
The removal of Morsi from office followed protests that were instigated by frustration with Morsi's year-long rule in which Egypt faced economic issues, energy shortages, lack of security and diplomatic crises. Some of the issues that might have caused the protests and lead to the later removal of Morsi include:
On Friday 28 June, protests against Morsi started to build throughout Egypt including in such cities as Cairo, Alexandria, Dakahlia, Gharbiya and Aswan as a "warm up" for the massive protests expected on 30 June that were planned by Tamarod. Pro-Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood supporters started counter demonstrations at the Rabia Al-Adawiya Mosque in Nasr City days beforeward. [33]
Prior to the protests, Christians, particularly in Upper Egypt, received threats from pro-Morsi protestors, pressuring them not to take part in the protests. Sheikh Essam Abdulamek, a member of parliament's Shura Council, said in an interview on television that Christians should not participate in the protests and warned them that they "[may] not sacrifice [their] children [since the] general Muslim opinion [would] not be silent about the ousting of the president." [16]
According to information that came out after the removal of Morsi, officials argued that Morsi stopped working at the Egyptian Presidential Palace on 26 June in anticipation to the protests and moved with his family to El-Quba Palace. [34]
On 29 June, Tamarod argued that it collected more than 22 million signatures from a petition calling for Morsi to step down as president. [35] [36]
On 30 June, 14 million to 33 million protesters demonstrated across Egypt against Morsi bellowing their anger at the Brotherhood, which they accused of hijacking Egypt's 2011 revolution and using electoral victories to monopolize power and impose Islamic law. [37] Thousands in support of Morsi gathered in Rabaa Square in Cairo and other cities in a counterprotest, with majority of Islamist sentiments. [38] The number of protesters is generally accepted to be somewhere between 14 million and 33 million. [39] In Damietta, 250 fishing boat sailors demonstrated against Morsi by sailing through the Nile and chanting against him. [40] The President moved that day from the Quba Palace to the Republican Guard headquarters, while protesters thought he was at Ittihadeya Palace. [34]
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On 1 July, again more than 1 millions of demonstrators against Morsi gathered in Tahrir Square and outside the presidential palace, while other demonstrations were held in the cities of Alexandria, Port Said and Suez. [41] Some police officers wearing their uniforms joined the anti-Morsi protests and chanted: "The police and the people are one." [42] In clashes around the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Mokatam, eight people died. Their headquarters was ransacked and burned while protesters threw objects at windows and looted the building, making off with office equipment and documents. [43] Tamarod gave President Mohamed Morsi until 2 July at 17:00 to resign or face a civil disobedience campaign. [44] That was followed by the Egyptian Armed Forces issuing a 48-hour ultimatum that gave the country's political parties until 3 July to meet the demands of the Egyptian people. The Egyptian military also threatened to intervene if the dispute was not resolved by then. [45] Four ministers also resigned on the same day: Tourism Minister Hisham Zazou (who previously offered to resign a few months earlier after Morsi appointed an Islamist member of al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, the group responsible of the Luxor massacre, as governor of Luxor), Communication and IT Minister Atef Helmi, State Minister for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Hatem Bagato, and State Minister for Environmental Affairs Khaled Abdel Aal, [46] leaving the government with only members of the Freedom and Justice Party. On the same day, it was reported that President of the United States Barack Obama called Morsi. The call went along the United States' vision, and argued that the only option in the stressed situation would be to call for an early general presidential election in which Morsi is not a candidate, to which Morsi answered,"The Egyptian people decide", before closing the line. [47]
On 2 July, opponents and supporters of Morsi gathered in the capital, Cairo, as the deadline set by the military for him to leave power passed. [44] Helicopters were also present around Cairo with armored vehicles taking up positions. [48] On 3 July, clashes between protestors and local residents erupted around a pro-Morsi rally near Cairo University, leaving 18 people dead. [49] Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr also resigned, in support of the anti-government protesters. [50] The presidency rejected the Egyptian Army's 48-hour ultimatum, vowing that the president would pursue his own plans for national reconciliation to resolve the political crisis. [51] Defense Minister General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was also said to have told Morsi that he would impose a military solution if a political one could not be found by the next day. [48] Incidentally, the Court of Cassation ordered the reinstatement of former general prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud who was replaced with Talaat Abdallah following the constitutional declaration on 22 November 2012. [52] The presidential spokesman and the spokesman for the cabinet resigned as well. [53]
The newspaper Al-Ahram reported that if there were no political resolution, the military would suspend the constitution of Egypt and appoint a new council of experts to draft a new one, institute a three-person executive council, and appoint a prime minister who had a military background. [54] Morsi's military advisor, Sami Hafez Anan, also resigned and said that the army would not "abandon the will of the people." [55]
In a late-night television address Morsi declared that he would "defend the legitimacy of his elected office with his life." [56] He added that "there is no substitute for legitimacy" as he vowed not to resign. [57] Morsi accused supporters of Hosni Mubarak of exploiting the wave of protests to topple the government and fight democracy. [58] After Morsi's statement, an official Facebook page of the Egyptian Armed Forces wrote a post under the title "The Last Hours" saying in response to Morsi: "The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces had mentioned before that it is better for us to die rather than seeing the Egyptian people being threatened or horrified. And we swear that we would sacrifice our lives and our blood for Egypt against every terrorist, extremist or ignorant. Long live Egypt." [59] [60]
As the deadline of the army's ultimatum approached on 3 July, there was renewed expectation of an increase in violence, according to the media. [61] As in other days, there were both anti-Morsi and pro-Morsi protests, the latter particularly in Nasr City and near Cairo University. Army tanks were reported to surround two smaller pro-Morsi rallies as the demonstrators vowed to defend the government with their lives. [62]
As the 16:35 deadline set by the army approached, the coalition met with the military leaders for emergency talks, with the expectation that the army would issue a statement when the deadline passed. Mohamed El-Baradei, who was chosen to represent the National Salvation Front, was also said to have met army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. [63]
On 3 July, General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, defense minister and commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces, announced that he would be calling new presidential and parliamentary elections. The coalition appointed Chief Justice Adly Mansour as the interim president, and tasked him with forming a transitional technocratic government. [64] Military vehicles drove throughout Cairo. Morsi was put under house arrest, [64] [65] and was believed to be at the Republican Guard barracks. [66] According to other sources, he was taken to a military base and his travel was restricted. [67] Army troops and tanks were reported to have surrounded key facilities and installations. [68] At noon, the Republican Guard, who had Morsi in their care, left his side to allow Army commandos to take him to an undisclosed Ministry of Defense building. He offered no resistance. [34]
Sisi said: "The president's speech last night failed to meet and conform with the demands [of the people, prompting the armed forces to consult] with some of the symbols of the national forces and the youths without excluding anyone. [They agreed on a road map] that includes initial steps that realize the building of a strong and coherent Egyptian society that does not exclude any of its sons and currents and that end the state of conflict and division." [69] He added the army was standing apart from the political process but was using its vision as the Egyptian people were calling for help and discharged its responsibility. [70] Al-Sisi named former Chief Justice Adli Mansour as the interim president and added that he would be sworn in on 4 July. The Shura Council was also dissolved. [71] Morsi condemned his removal as a "full coup" by the general. He also urged everyone to "adhere to peacefulness and avoid shedding blood of fellow countrymen." [72] The Office of Assistant to the President of Egypt on Foreign Relations called Morsi's removal a "military coup", [73] [74] and said "there is no democracy without the ballot box". [75]
The announcement of the removal of Morsi was met with cheers in Tahrir Square. [76] Anti-Morsi protesters shouted " Allahu akbar" and "Long live Egypt" and launched fireworks [72] as green laser lights held by those in the crowd lit the sky. [77] Mohamed ElBaradei argued that the removal of Morsi was to rectify the issues of the 2011 revolution. The Coptic Pope Tawadros II, Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb, Mohamed ElBaradei [78] and some of the youth leaders of Tamarod, Mahmoud Badr and Mohamed Abdelaziz, spoke in support of the military intervention. The al-Nour party also commented in saying that the events occurred as they were not heard in their call for dialogue. Party Secretary-General Galal Murra commented that: "we took this position (on agreeing to the army political road map) and we took these decisions only so we stop the bloodshed of our people." [79] Pro-Morsi protesters heard a statement from Morsi, which was published on his Facebook page. He called the move a "coup d'état" and rejected the Armed Forces' statement.
The Freedom and Justice Party's Gamal Heshmat said: "There is absolutely no direction towards violence. The Brotherhood are not raised on violence. Their cause is a peaceful one, defending their rights, which is stronger than a military coup. The army has perpetrated a shameful coup. We are still in the street, we still don't know if all of the armed forces will accept what Sisi has done." [80] A party spokesman said that what had started as a "military coup" was "turning into something much more." [81] The National Salvation Front, an alliance of multiple political parties, stated on 4 July: "What Egypt is witnessing now is not a military coup by any standards. It was a necessary decision that the Armed Forces leadership took to protect democracy, maintain the country's unity and integrity, restore stability and get back on track towards achieving the goals of the January 25 Revolution." [82]
According to Morsi, he was kidnapped by the Armed Forces and held at the Republican Guard headquarters one day before the army announced his removal, and held there until 5 July 2013, after which he and his aide were forcibly moved to a naval base for the next four months. [83] [84] [85] His family had stated earlier Morsi was kidnapped on 3 July 2013. [86] The spokesperson of the Egyptian Armed Forces, Colonel Ahmed Ali later denied allegations that Morsi was badly treated, saying they had nothing to hide. [87] The Egyptian Armed Forces later granted permission to Catherine Ashton—the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the European Union—to meet Morsi. Ashton later stated that Morsi was doing well: "Morsi was keeping up with the latest developments in the country through television and newspapers. So we were able to talk about the situation, and we were able to talk about the need to move forward. The people around him do care for him. I looked at the facilities." [88] [89] [90] Morsi could later meet an African Union delegation too. [87]
The army arrested the former speaker of parliament and the head of the Freedom and Justice Party, Saad El-Katatni, along with Rashad al-Bayoumi, a Muslim Brotherhood deputy, [91] as well as other top leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood. [92] Al-Jazeera quoted unnamed security officials saying that "more than a dozen" members of the Muslim Brotherhood had been arrested, [93] while Al-Ahram reported that the Egyptian police had been ordered to arrest more than 300 members of the Muslim Brotherhood. [94] A travel ban was also put on Morsi, the head of his Muslim Brotherhood Mohammed Badie, Badie's deputy Khairat El-Shater, the Muslim Brotherhood's former leader Mahdi Akef, another Muslim Brotherhood figure Mohamed Beltagy, Salafi preacher close to the Muslim Brotherhood Safwat Hegazi and the leader of the al-Wasat Party, Abou Elela Mady and his deputy Essam Sultan. [2] Badie and Akef were arrested for "incitement to murder." [81]
Following Morsi's removal from office, pro-Morsi supporters still gathered in Cairo stated that they would undo the "coup" and continued their allegiance to Morsi, saying that they would "defend the integrity of the ballot box." Amidst threats of violence, Al Jazeera English reported the death of four people from a Muslim Brotherhood stronghold near the Libyan border.[ citation needed]
Police forces made statements against four controversial pro-Brotherhood television channels and took them off the air. [95] [96] Misr 25, a channel owned by Muslim Brotherhood loyalists, was shut down and officials said that journalists working for the channel were arrested. [93] The Al-Hafez and Al-Nas channels were shut down as well, but the latter has since been revived. A few hours later, Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr, which had been criticized for its pro-Morsi slant, also had its offices raided and its employees detained. [96] Five staff were arrested, including managing director Ayman Gaballah, who was still in custody after the others were released. It was also prevented from broadcasting a pro-Brotherhood protest in northern Cairo. The network has since moved to Doha.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that two journalists and one student died while covering pro-Morsi protests in the two weeks leading up to July 8, 2013. [97] According to CPJ research, before those deaths, only four journalists had been killed in Egypt since 1992. [97] One of the journalists who died while documenting the pro-Morsi protests was 26-year-old photographer Ahmed Assem el-Senousy, also known as Ahmed Samir Assem. [97] [98] [99] The photographer was shot by a sniper after he recorded clashes between police and protesters. [98] [99] According to media reports, el-Senousy may have captured his own death on film. A video clip posted on his Facebook page shows a sniper firing on crowds before turning toward the camera, at which point the clip abruptly ends. [98] [99]
According to the CPJ, the BBC's Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen, was hit in the head by shotgun pellets while reporting for the BBC. [97] However, he escaped without major injury, and was taken away by his colleagues and bandaged up. [100]
On 4 July, violence continued with over 100 people wounded and at least two deaths, believed to be that of children. [81] The Muslim Brotherhood's spokesman called for "strictly peaceful" protests to defy the "military coup". [101] The Armed Forces said that it would guarantee the right to peacefully protest. Other Islamist groups threatened armed retaliation, while the police arrested four armed men on 5 July over allegations that they had planned a reprisal attack, according to state-run Al-Ahram. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces added that it would protect all groups from revenge attacks and that Egyptian values "do not allow for gloating." [81]
Protests after Friday prayers were called by Morsi supporters, now in opposition, and termed "Rejection Friday." That morning, troops fought pro-Morsi rioters at the Republican Guard headquarters in which Morsi was believed to be held, leading to 51 deaths. [102] Pro-Morsi witnesses claimed that the military opened fire without provocation towards the end of morning prayers, immediately using live ammunition and shooting to kill. [103] [104] At least 51 people were killed and 435 were injured. Though the Egyptian Armed Forces denied firing at the protesters, BBC News reporter Jeremy Bowen argued that he saw soldiers firing on protesters. [105] In Qena, rioters attempted to storm a security building, only for riot police to shoot at then, injuring two. Shots were also fired in Alexandria. [105] This occurred as several Egyptians took to the streets to protest against the anti-Morsi uprising. [106] While otherwise respecting all sides, the military also issued a statement warning Islamists who planned on protesting. [106] Tamarod, which had organized anti-Morsi protests, called for protests to "protect the revolution." [105] During the night, pro- and anti-Morsi demonstrators clashed over the 6th October Bridge; at least two people were killed and more than 70 people were injured, according to state television, who quoted medical personnel at a makeshift hospital in the square. At least three deaths were that of Morsi supporters during the march towards the military barracks after the Friday prayer in Cairo. [107] In all, through the night of rioting, throughout the country 30 people were killed. Pro-Morsi demonstrators continued to call for protests. [108] Protesters continued to demand the reinstatement of Morsi throughout the weekend, some of which were violent protests. [109]
Palestinian officials in Gaza also said that the Egyptian Armed Forces had shut down the Rafah border crossing, and that only certain people, such as patients and students, would be allowed through. Egyptian Intelligence Service official Nader al-Asar telephoned Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh on the afternoon of 5 July, and Haniyeh briefed him about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a result of the restrictions on tunnels and the Rafah crossing. Al-Asar promised to seek remedies on the situation. [110]
After dawn prayers on 8 July, clashes erupted between pro-Morsi protesters and the army at the Republican Guard compound. According to the army, a militia tried to storm the compound, and one officer and 42 other people were injured. [111] On the other hand, the Muslim Brotherhood claimed that 42 of its supporters were killed and over 300 were injured after shootings that followed the police storming their sit-in demanding the reinstatement of Morsi. Brotherhood member Mohamed Beltagy described the incident as a "massacre" during dawn prayers. [112] After the incident, the Freedom and Justice Party called for "the international community and international groups and all the free people of the world [to] intervene to stop further massacres [...] and prevent a new Syria in the Arab world." [113] The Nour party said it would suspend taking part in the political process as a response to the deadly clashes. And Ahmed el-Hawary, a founding member of the al-Dustour party and a member of the 30 June Front, said: "We cannot blame the Muslim Brotherhood without blaming the army. They are both held accountable for this catastrophe...The Brotherhood is playing victims to gain international sympathy yet losing whatever is left of the sympathy at home. A speedy formation of the new cabinet is essential at this point, and although consensus is critical. Egypt must not be the hostage of a concurrence based on non-pertinent arguments." [114] At the same time, Morsi supporters were alleged to have forced two soldiers, Samir Abdallah Ali and Azzam Hazem Ali, to make pro-Morsi statements on a loudspeaker and that one of them was "severely beaten up" and filmed while making the statements. However, an army official later said that they had "managed to escape their captors." [115]
On 8 July, following reports that many fighters in Syria were returning in support of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt slapped restrictions on Syrians entering the country and required them to obtain visas before entering the country. [116] An arrest warrant was issued against Mohamed Badie also as the party refused to join a transitional government. [117]The Muslim Brotherhood vowed to continue its resistance to the removal of Morsi. In a statement, it disavowed itself from an assassination attempt against a senior army commander in the Sinai Peninsula on 10 July and claimed that it adheres to "peaceful" measures. The statement also read: "We will continue our peaceful resistance to the bloody military coup against constitutional legitimacy. We trust that the peaceful and popular will of the people shall triumph over force and oppression." [118] The public prosecutor[ who?] issued a freeze on the assets of the Muslim Brotherhood's leaders, as well as other supporters pending investigations in ongoing cases related to events in al-Mokatam, al-Nahda square and the Republican Guards Club. This would affect Mohamed Badie, Khairat al-Shater, Mohamed Ezat, Mahi Ekef, Saed ElKatatni, Essam ElErian, Mohamed ElBeltagy and the Muslim Brotherhood's allies, including Essam Sultan, Assem Abdul Majed, Safwat Hegazy and Hazem Abu Ismail, will also be affected by the freeze. [119]
In addition to continuing daily protests, the Muslim Brotherhood called for more protests after Friday prayers on 19 July. [120] The protests were held in Cairo and Alexandria with two formations of fighter jets flying over both cities after noon prayers ended, and some military helicopters flew low over rooftops in Cairo. Among the tens of thousands of protesters present, they chanted "Islamic, Islamic" calling for an Islamic state. [121] The protests again turned violent and fatal in Cairo and Qalyoub on 22 July. [122] Morsi's family also held a press conference in Cairo in which his children accused the military of kidnapping him, as well as announcing local and international legal measures they had initiated against then-Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. [123]
On 14 August 2013, Egyptian security forces raided two camps of protesters in Cairo: a smaller one at al-Nahda Square and a larger one at Rabaa al-Adawiya Mosque. The two sites had been occupied by supporters of the overthrown Mohamed Morsi. The camps were raided by force, after initiatives to end the over one-month-old sit-ins by peaceful means had failed.
According to the Egyptian Health Ministry, 638 people were killed on 14 August, of which 595 were protesters and 43 were police officers, with at least 3,994 injured. However, the Muslim Brotherhood and National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy (NCSL) claimed that 2,600 people were killed. Violent retaliation followed in several cities across the country. The interim government declared a month-long state of emergency to prevent further protests, and curfews were instituted in many areas. The total casualty count made 14 August the deadliest day since the 2011 Egyptian revolution which toppled Hosni Mubarak.
A poll by the Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research later showed that 67% of Egyptians were satisfied about the method in which the Rabaa al-Adaweya and Nahda sit-ins were dispersed. [124] [125] [126]
During its 2014 investigation of the Rabaa sit-in dispersal, the U.S.-based human rights organization Human Rights Watch said that it had documented at least 817 protester deaths during the dispersal, while suggesting that up to 1,000 protesters may have been killed during the incident. HRW suggested that the sit-in dispersal, and in particular the use of force by security forces during it, may have constituted crimes against humanity, with the organization's executive director at the time, Kenneth Roth, calling it "one of the world's largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history". [127]
After Morsi's overthrow, Egypt's Christian minority, a reported 6–12% of the population, had been the target of sectarian divide tactics by pro-Brotherhood and other Islamist groups over their support for the uprising and the subsequent removal of Morsi from office. [128] On 5 July 2013 — two days after Morsi was ousted—pro-Morsi mobs rampaged through the Christian village of Nagaa Hassan, burning dozens of homes, ransacking stores and stabbing to death at least four people. This included the pro-revolution Christian activist Emile Naseem, who was hacked and beaten to death. [128] Dozens of Christian families sought protection in a local church. [129]
In Port Said's al-Manakh, masked gunmen loyal to Morsi opened fire at the Mar Mina Church. [130] Since 30 June, mobs carried out attacks on Christians in six out of Egypt's twenty-seven provinces. [128] Churches across Egypt have canceled their evening Mass and social activities. [128] Other incidents include Coptic Christian priest Mina Abboud Sharobeen being killed in an outdoor market. [131]
Ramy Jan, a Christian journalist and Muslim Brotherhood supporter, claimed that Islamist violence against Copts was rather fabricated and that Muslims would not commit any type of sectarian violence. He dismissed all previously-mentioned incidents as "accusations" against Islamists, to which he reacted by starting the Christians Against the Coup movement in demand of "reestablishing democracy", joining with his movement the Islamist Anti-Coup Alliance. [132] However, Jan's credibility, and that of the group he supposedly represented, was severely challenged when it was revealed that he was also in fact a member of the Egyptian Nazi Party. [133]
The day after Morsi was removed, extremist militants staged multiple attacks on security forces in the Sinai and Suez. One soldier was killed and two others were wounded at a police station near the local headquarters of military intelligence in Rafah as it was attacked by rocket fire. Attackers also fired rocket-propelled grenades at army checkpoints guarding El-Arish Airport. [134] A protest by hundreds of people occurred in Al-Arish the day after the ouster with calls to form a war council to combat the army. Ten areas in north Sinai were witness to clashes, including the Central Security Force camp and a number of checkpoints along the ring road. The airport was also closed after being targeted by unidentified armed men. [135]
In late July 2013, the Egyptian military launched "Operation Sinai" in an effort to quash the militants. [136]
A constitutional referendum was held in early 2014. 38.6% of eligible voters participated in the referendum, held between January 14th and January 15th; 98.2% of those who voted had voted in favor, with the rest voting against. [137] This referendum reinstated the constitution with several amendments, allowing Egypt to return to the African Union later that year.
Later, a presidential election was held in late May 2014. A presidential run-off with only two candidates, the election, which saw a turnout of 47.5%, led to Sisi winning with 96.91% of the vote, compared to Hamdeen Sabahi's 3.09%. This election saw Egypt's first elected president since the 2013 events.
Then in late 2015, a parliamentary election was held. It saw the election of numerous parties to the House of Representatives, as well as 351 independent MPs. This election reinstated an elected legislature to the country after the removal of Morsi led to the suspension of the Shura Council.
Amid months of protests, and after his trial had started, Morsi said on 13 November 2013 that he was kidnapped by the military the day before his removal, and that the move was treason. [138]
The decision by the Egyptian military to take state authority out of the hands of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood government marks another sharp turning point in Egypt's incomplete revolution. What the Brotherhood neglected to understand is that democracy means more than simply holding elections. Real democracy requires inclusiveness, compromise, respect for human and minority rights, and a commitment to the rule of law. Morsi and his inner circle did not embrace any of these principles and instead chose to consolidate power and rule by fiat. As a result the Egyptian people and their economy suffered greatly. It is now up to the Egyptian military to demonstrate that the new transitional government can and will govern in a transparent manner and work to return the country to democratic rule. We are encouraged that a broad cross-section of Egyptians will gather to rewrite the constitution. All parties in Egypt must show restraint, prevent violence, and prepare to be productive players in the future democratic Egypt. We encourage the military to exercise extreme caution moving forward and support sound democratic institutions through which the people and future governments can flourish.
It wasn’t the military that plotted the seizure of the government and grabbed it. It was a massive public uprising that, left unchecked, would have produced great violence. It would have left the military in the miserable position of having to control those demonstrations by force. The cry from the crowd was they wanted new elections … to help decide the country's future, which has been so troubled. The military was faced with, genuinely overheated situation … It isn’t a coup in any classic sense and, yet, the military played a role in upsetting the government. We have to ask ourselves, then, finally, what are the interests of the United States? And here the president wisely has waiver authority and has to make a judgment. Egypt is the largest and most influential country in the Middle East. Egypt is central to peace with Israel. Egypt's fate will influence the course of politics elsewhere in the region. So we want to be very, very careful before we go out and condemn an event that has, by the most recent polling of Egypt's best pollsters, 80 percent support in the population. What is clear is the wave of anger against the government that drove Morsi from power, enjoyed massive, massive public support in the many, many millions of Egyptians.
"The military was asked to intervene by millions and millions of people, all of whom were afraid of a descendance into chaos, into violence. And the military did not take over, to the best of our judgement - so far. To run the country, there's a civilian government. In effect, they were restoring democracy." [190] [191]
Syrian state television carried live coverage of the anti-Morsi protests. [173] It also said of the statement that "Syria's people and leadership and army express their deep appreciation for the national, populist movement in Egypt which has yielded a great achievement." [196]
U.S. media noted that Obama did not call the removal of Morsi a coup. [197] If the President of the United States refers to an incident as a coup, then U.S. law requires them to cut off military and economic aid to the country where the incident took place, as was the case in Mauritania, Mali, Madagascar and Pakistan. The U.S. funds 20% of Egypt's military costs (US$1.3 billion) and gives another US$250 million in economic aid. [198] Al Jazeera claims that the refusal to term the events as a coup were tied with the U.S. stance in stopping military aid to countries that have perpetrated a coup. [153]
Media outlets noted that the UK government neither opposed the removal of Morsi, nor called for his regime to be restored to power. [140] Some media reports referred to the incident and the protests that preceded it as another revolution [199] or referred to the protest uprising as a revolution and the removal of Morsi as a coup. [200] There was also some debate as to whether the removal of Mohamed Morsi was a coup or not. [201] This debate was significant on Wikipedia, where this particular article created a major debate between users, mainly over the title, which several users argued was biased. [202]
Egyptian Americans, particularly in the Arab-dominated areas of Michigan, had mixed views of the event, with some wary of the Muslim Brotherhood, but also wary of usurping democratic rights following the Arab Spring which ended Mubarak's nearly 30-year-long authoritarian rule. [203]
Following numerous violent clashes in Egypt involving police and protesters that occurred in the aftermath of Morsi's removal from office, Amnesty International called on foreign governments to stop supplying further arms to the country. [204]
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WASHINGTON has decided to avoid the tricky question of whether the toppling of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi was a coup, which would have forced a freeze of US$1.5 billion (A$1.63 billion) in aid. 'The law does not require us to make a formal determination ... as to whether a coup took place, and it is not in our national interest to make such a determination,' State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Friday. She clearly signaled that for the time being millions of dollars in US military and economic assistance would continue to flow to Egypt, the most populous Arab country and a key regional ally.
Category:2013 in Egypt Category:2013 protests Category:Protest-related deaths Category:Protests in Egypt Category:Mohamed Morsi Category:Arab Winter in Egypt Category:Egyptian crisis (2011–2014)