• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Supporters of Morsi refuse to leave protest camps in Cairo

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 3, 2013 12:54PM GMT

Thousands of supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, have refused to leave their protest camps in Cairo as the interim government's deadline draws to an end.

A large number of demonstrators are protesting the military coup against the country's first democratically elected president. The protesters insist that they will not leave their camps until Morsi is reinstated.

The Interior Ministry has once again repeated calls for pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo to be halted.

'Continued presence ... at the square will expose them to legal action over their involvement in several criminal acts including killing, torture, kidnapping, possessing weapons, blocking roads, and inciting violence,' the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

This comes as interim authorities say they have plans to break up the two camps after setting up a cordon around them. The military-installed government has been struggling to end a political stalemate that has paralyzed the country.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Coup Alliance, a grouping of Morsi supporters led by the Muslim Brotherhood, has vowed that the sit-ins and protest rallies will continue.

'All revolutionary groups, including the alliance, also announce that they do not recognize the coup government or its decisions or negotiations,' the alliance said in a statement.

The alliance also added that it placed 'full responsibility on the coup leaders for any acts of violence or killings'.

Human Rights Watch has also warned of cycle of bloodshed if violence is used against pro-Morsi protesters.

'To avoid another bloodbath, Egypt's civilian rulers need to ensure the ongoing right of protesters to assemble peacefully, and seek alternatives to a forcible dispersal of the crowds,' said Nadim Houry, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa Division of Human Rights Watch.

Dozens of people, mostly supporters of the overthrown president, were killed during the violence that erupted after the military ousted Morsi in early July.

JR/SS