The organization has gathered testimonies from detainees who said that they were beaten upon arrest, subjected to electric shocks or hit with rifle butts.

The Egyptian authorities must respect the right to due process for those who have been rounded up and are facing accusations of inciting or participating in violence in the last two weeks. Allegations of ill-treatment must be investigated urgently.

“At this time of extreme polarization and division, it is more important than ever that the office of the Public Prosecutor demonstrates that it’s truly independent and not politicized,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Programme Director at Amnesty International. “These cases risk being seen as mere retribution rather than justice.”

Since the news of Mursi’s ousting on 3 July, lawyers have told Amnesty International that more than 660 men have been arrested in Cairo alone, including prominent leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and its political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). Many were arrested on 8 July during the violence around the Republican Guard Club, which left at least 51 Morsi supporters dead.

While release orders were eventually issued for some 650 suspects, lawyers have told the organization that an unknown number remain in detention due to their inability to pay bail ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 Egyptian pounds (US$140-US$700). The whereabouts of the deposed President and his team of aides are still unknown.

Amnesty International fears that their conditions of detention may amount to an enforced disappearance. Family members who have asked have been denied information on their relative’s whereabouts and fate, and they appear not to have been brought before a judge or given access to a lawyer

“Establishing trust in the justice system will be impossible if only supporters of Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood are targeted while security forces are absolved of responsibility for unlawful killings and their failure to protect protesters from violence,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Programme Director at Amnesty International.

“Everyone has the right to due process, no matter what the authorities think of their political affiliation or their position. Mohamed Morsi and his team, like anyone, should be granted their basic rights, including immediate access to their lawyers and family.”

Under international law, all detained suspects must be released or promptly charged with a recognizable criminal offence. Anyone deprived of their liberty should also have the right to challenge the lawfulness of their detention before a judge, as well as access to lawyers and their families, and receive any medical treatment that they might require. Lawyers must be permitted to assist their clients unimpeded.

Amnesty International urges the Egyptian authorities to launch full investigations into reports of detainees being beaten and ill-treated, particularly upon arrest, in the vicinity of the Republican Guard Club. This including being hit with rifle butts and given electric shocks. They also said that at police stations they were interrogated while blindfolded by men they believed to be intelligence officials from the National Security Agency, a practice that is eerily reminiscent of Mubarak-era tactics. Newly released detainees also complained about not being allowed to call their families or lawyers.

With at least nine senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders and supporters already detained, arrest warrants have also been issued for other prominent figures in the Muslim Brotherhood, including the group’s spiritual guide. The Muslim Brotherhood’s chief lawyer, Abdelmonim Abdelmaqsoud, has also been detained in Tora Prison, south of Cairo.

“The onus is on the prosecution and the authorities to charge and provide evidence to support the accusations against them,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. “Without evidence that can be tested in court it is yet another crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.”

Directly after the army announced the ousting on 3 July, at least six pro-Morsi television stations were taken off the air and then had their studios raided. The following day the FJP announced that the state’s printing press refused to print the party’s newspaper. On Sunday the Public Prosecution froze the assets of 14 men associated with the Muslim Brotherhood and parties supporting them.

The briefing, Rampant impunity: Still no justice for protesters killed in the “25 January Revolution”, details shortcomings in investigations and prosecutions of those responsible for the deaths of some 840 individuals during the demonstrations that ended over 30 years of Hosni Mubarak’s repressive rule and led to the first elected civilian President in Egypt. At least 6,600 people also sustained injuries during the protests, which were brutally suppressed by the security forces.

At least 12 people have died during protest violence since President Mohamed Morsi took office.

According to information gathered by Amnesty International in Egypt, during the uprising security forces used tear gas, water cannon, shotguns, rubber bullets and live ammunition against protesters, in many cases when they were posing no threat to them.

No senior official or security officer has been convicted or justly punished for killing or injuring protestors.

“President Morsi has repeatedly paid tribute to those who died during the ’25 January Revolution’, yet little effective action has been taken to ensure those responsible face justice. In reality two years after the uprising the security forces appear to be getting away with murder” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme.

“By not ensuring the perpetrators are punished, President Morsi is doing little to distance himself from decade of abuses”.

Courts in Egypt continue to acquit senior and other security officials. In some cases, acquittals were based on the lack of evidence or because the courts found the defendants were exercising their right to self-defence, despite well-documented evidence that police used excessive and lethal force when not strictly necessary.

Furthermore, the guilty verdict against President Hosni Mubarak and his Minister of Interior, Habib El Adly, for complicity in killing protestors was overturned by the Court of Cassation on 13 January; opening the door for their retrial.

According to relatives and lawyers interviewed by Amnesty International, many acquittals and the failure of some cases to even reach court is due to shortcomings in the evidence-gathering process — including video material; medical and forensic reports; and ballistic evidence which in many cases were not examined or even presented to the courts.

Other essential information like records of telephone communications between security officials, registries of deployed security forces and records of weapons and munitions provided to security forces was not obtained from the Ministry of Interior.

Complaints also included the fact that police officers were involved in the investigations, prompting fears that they might tamper with evidence or withhold information in order to absolve their colleagues and institutions from liability.

Shortly after assuming power in June 2012, President Morsi established a fact-finding committee to look into the killing and wounding of protesters which took place before he took office. He also appointed a new Public Prosecutor who promised to conduct fresh investigations and retrials for those acquitted of killing protestors if new evidence emerges.

Relatives of those killed told Amnesty International they had been asked to present new evidence and that several witnesses had faced intimidation.

“The creation of the Fact-Finding Committee was a good initial step forward but for it to be a truly positive development, the report needs to be made public and gaps and shortcoming in investigations must be addressed. Victims and society as a whole have the right to full truth,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Ten people died in clashes between supporters and opponents of President Morsi on the night of 5-6 December 2012, while security forces failed to intervene and protect protesters from violence and assault.

“President Morsi needs to turn his promises into reality and demonstrate strong political will to deliver justice for human rights abuses committed against protestors, ensuring that all those responsible up and down the chain of command and regardless of rank or political affiliation are held accountable. Only then will he be able to break with the legacy of past abuses, and avoid further killings of protestors.”

“This proposal comes to Congress at a point when the U.S.-Egypt relationship has never been under more scrutiny, and rightly so,” she said in a statement according to AP.

The aid is part of $1 billion in assistance that the Obama administration has vowed to Egypt to help its economy and its transition to democracy following the overthrow last year of Hosni Mubarak.

The relationship between the United States and Egypt has been under tension since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak last year.

Furthermore, Egypt was among the countries of the Middle East swept by violent anti-American protests over an anti-Islam video made in California, and some US lawmakers have raised questions about the future of US aid to the region,mainly given sharp budget restraints in the US.

The United States provides Egypt with $1.55 billion annually $250 million in economic aid and $1.3 billion in military aid, according to AP. The US is also backing a $4.8 billion aid package Egypt is seeking with the IMF.

Earlier on Monday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton assured Egypt’s new Islamist president Mohamed Morsy in New York that the United States would move ahead with plans to provide Egypt with economic and military assistance despite anti-American protests over the anit-Islamic film .

Mursi in his address in the summit in Iran attended by 120 nations spoke about the situation in Syria saying that “Our solidarity with the struggle of the Syrian people against an oppressive regime that has lost its legitimacy is an ethical duty as it is a political and strategic necessity,” Mursi added.

Mursi’s address to the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran discomfited Syria’s Iranian backers and drew strong criticism from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, who said the Egyptian president had broken the NAM tradition “by interfering in the affairs of Syria,” according to comments to Al-Alam channel.

Egypt’s state-run website Al-Ahram said Morsi’s address sparked a walkout by the Syrian delegation but Muallem said he only left the for the interview with Al-Alam TV before returning.

Mursi then spoke about the Palestinian Authority, saying that the Palestinian independence “has been a priority of the (Muslim Brotherhood) movement since its birth and it will be so until we achieve a comprehensive solution that will support the right of the Palestinian people to decide their own future and to establish their free state on their own soil,” AFP reported.

He emphasised in his speech the Palestinians’ “right to self determination and a free state” and voiced support for their bid to become full members of the United Nations.

Egypt’s ties with Iran deteriorated after the 1979 Islamic Revolution brought to power a theocracy that opposed Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel. As president, Mursi has so far refused to address the issue of whether ties would be upgraded with Iran, but has suggested he would pursue a more balanced foreign policy.

Catherine Ashton will make the keynote address at the EU conference on ‘Egyptian Women: The Way Forward’. The main objective of the event is to discuss the way forward for Egyptian women in different spheres of public and private life: political, economic, social and legal, and to learn from the ongoing support by the EU to improve future cooperation and engagement.

On the eve of her visit, Catherine Ashton said: “I am very much looking forward to meeting President Morsi. The EU will continue to do all it can to support the peaceful and orderly transition to a civilian and democratic government in Egypt. Egypt is a key player in the Arab world, and a full and reliable partner in international affairs, so steps forward in Egypt are crucial for democracy-building in the Middle East and North Africa. The EU is aware there are many challenges ahead. But will continue to stand by Egypt and its people in their quest for both deep democracy and economic opportunity. Since the very start, women have played a key role in the revolution. They are an inspiration to us all. That is why I am delighted to have organised this conference on ‘Egyptian Women: The Way Forward’.”

A survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project in March-April – well before Morsi emerged as a leading candidate in the presidential race, but after Islamist parties had won the majority of seats in the December parliamentary vote – found considerable support for Islam as a guiding force in the country’s future. However, the poll also revealed that not all Egyptians are equally comfortable with Islam’s expanded influence.

Already in early spring, there was broad acknowledgment of Islam’s rising profile, especially in the political arena. Roughly two-thirds (66%) of Egyptians saw Islam playing a big role in national politics, up 19 points from 2010, when just 47% said this was the case.

Most Egyptians appeared little troubled by Islam’s new status. When asked whether Saudi Arabia or the more secular Turkey would be a better model for Egypt in terms of religion’s role in government, a 61%-majority answered Saudi Arabia. Only 17% chose Turkey, while 22% claimed neither country was a suitable model.

Similarly, when asked about their country’s current political life, 64% expressed a positive view of Islam’s role in politics. (This included 40% who saw Islam playing a large role and who thought this was good, and 24% who saw Islam playing only a small role and who thought this was bad).

However, while majorities were attracted to the Saudi model and seemed to welcome Islam’s expanded influence, support for Islam’s role in politics was significantly lower than in 2010, when 82% had seen Islam as a positive force in Egypt’s political life. Meanwhile, the number of people who saw Islam playing a big role in politics and who said this was a bad thing was up 19 percentage points over the same two-year period (20% vs. 1%).

On the question of Egypt’s legal code, the spring survey also found broad support for Islam playing a major role: 60% said the country’s laws should strictly follow the teachings of the Quran, while 32% thought Egyptian laws should broadly reflect the values and principles of Islam. Only 6% of Egyptians embraced the secular view that laws should not be influenced by the Quran.

Yet, the survey revealed that not all Egyptians were equally enthusiastic about Islam shaping the country’s legal code. Younger people, in particular, were less likely to believe laws should strictly follow the Quran –about half (54%) expressed this view, compared with 68% among those 50 and older.

Better educated Egyptians, too, were not as eager to endorse Islam as the exclusive foundation of the country’s legal code. Only 55% of those with college degrees backed laws that strictly adhered to the Quran, compared with 68% of those with a primary education or less. Moreover, the number of Egyptians with secondary or college education who supported a strict Quranic basis for the country’s laws was 12 percentage points lower than in 2011.

It remains to be seen whether unease about Islam’s influence in Egypt’s legal and political life will deepen in the months ahead. Much will depend on the ability of president-elect Morsi and other Islamist politicians to convince the public that they are building a future for all citizens. In the meantime, the experiment of integrating Islam and democracy continues in Egypt.