• Published 08:27 20.04.11
  • Latest update 08:27 20.04.11

Government fact-finding mission shows 846 killed in Egypt uprising

The panel of judges describe police forces shooting protesters in the head and chest with live ammunition and present a death toll more than twice that of previous official estimates.

By The Associated Press and Haaretz Service Tags: Israel news Egypt protests

At least 846 Egyptians died in the nearly three-week-long popular uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak's decades-long regime and spurred widespread regional turmoil, a government fact-finding mission announced Tuesday.

In their report, the panel of judges described police forces shooting protesters in the head and chest with live ammunition and presented a death toll more than twice that of previous official estimates.

Protesters in Tahrir Square in Cairo, AP.

Protesters in Tahrir Square in Cairo earlier this year.

Photo by: AP

The fatal shots were due to firing bullets at the head and the chest, the report read, adding that a huge number of eye injuries filled hospitals, with hundreds losing their sight.

Among the mission's conclusions, was confirmation that policemen commandeered a U.S. embassy vehicle and used it to run over protesters on Feb. 2, the same day horses and camels charged demonstrators in Tahrir square, the epicenter of Egyptian protests.

In one prison, Wadi el-Natroun, prisoners told the commission that the prison guards cut water and electricity supplies, suggesting that the administration forced the prisoners to stage riots and escape.

Others testified that the guards fired in the air and used tear gas to terrorize prisoners and force them to flee.

The fact finding mission comes a week after Egypt's prosecutor general announced a 15-day detention for former President Hosni Mubarak to investigate accusations of corruption and abuse of authority.

The Egyptian president's sons, Alaa and Gamal, were detained as well for investigation.
Mubarak, 82, was hospitalized last week with heart problems as investigations began over his own role in corruption and suppressing the protests that eventually led to his ouster.

The former Egyptian president was deposed Feb. 11 after 18 days of popular protests and has been under house arrest in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh for the last two months.

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  • 4. 0 0
    So Eqyptian forces killed twice as many of their civilans as died in Gaza during Cast Lead.
    • Olah
    • 20.04.11
    • 15:46

    Where is the Goldstone report on this? Where is the international vilification? Where is the UN censure?

  • 3. 0 0
    who have supported mubarak ?
    • Rick
    • 20.04.11
    • 14:26

    US and israel.

  • 2. 0 0
    Government fact finding? why not a UN fact finding?
    • Dan
    • 20.04.11
    • 13:44

    Whats good for the goose....

  • 1. 0 0
    Using Human beings as a Political Football
    • H
    • 20.04.11
    • 13:20

    846, and the rest. What I can't understand is the lack of will around the World to demonstrate against these vile criminals who see fit to murder their own people, whetherr it be in Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Burma, Sudan, Somalia, Sri lanka, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan or Tunisia. Where are the spokesmen for my country, the late great Britain. Where is Tony Benn, Annie Lennox, Alexei Sayle, George Galloway and Ken Livingstone? Where the hell are their voices? Now tell me, that all these countries are sick but Gaza is a shining light where angels tread and children are brought up to love Mankind in peace and harmony. It seems to me that this forum is one way traffic and it smacks of a political agenda, namely to bring about change in Israel. Of course Israel is going down the pan, but somehow there is an artificial connection being created that if Israel gives back the Golan, East Jerusalem, tears down the wall and allows the right of return for millions of Palestinians, there will be no more wars, no more murdering of Muslims. What I see is that Haaretz has become a Forum on which to spread hate and Antisemitism. Even the thumbs up and down has been allowed to ferment, allowing the Anti Jew brigade to make all that we say in defense of Israel to look outvoted. You know this is true Haaretz and yet you continue to allow this to take place. Shame on you, shame on on you Antisemites who use Anti Israeli arguments as a veil to your true beliefs, and shame on you right wing Jewish extremists who defend our right to ship over a bunch of lunatics from the USA and Eastern Europe to demand Palestinian land because G-d told them to do this thousands of years ago. I am ashamed to call myself a Jew just as you should be to call yourselves Muslims or Christians. OK now press the button.