Egypt spy leak reveals army role in suppressing revolution

Egypt spy leak reveals army role in suppressing revolution
New leaks show the Egyptian security forces actively fought against the revolution, and encouraged the excessive use of violence.
2 min read
Security forces used force to suppress protests [Anadolu]
A leaked recording aired by Doha-based Al Jazeera Arabic purports to detail how the Egyptian army and police conspired against the Egyptian revolution.

The security forces at the time were under the command of Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, now president, and Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim.

In the audio, Ibrahim appears to order his men to use violence in anticipation of protests after ousted President Hosni Mubarak had been cleared of charges.

     Ibrahim also mocked opponents of Sisi, who called for a 'third revolution' after Mubarak's acquittal.

Ibrahim also mocked opponents of Sisi who called for a "third revolution" after Mubarak's acquittal in November 2014.

The interior minister admits the army and police supported the famous 30 June 2013 protests that led to the overthrow of President Mohammad Morsi.

He claims no revolution can succeed without the support of Egypt's two largest institutions - the army and police.

Advising police to arrest Muslim Brotherhood leaders and supporters, Ibrahim is heard telling them to hide their faces to avoid future prosecution or retaliation by protesters.

Inciting the use of violence, he also told officers to use all means available in the crackdown on protest, claiming it was legal. This included water cannon and even machine gun fire.

This audio is the latest in a series of leaked recordings.

According to The Independent newspaper, analysis by UK-based JP French Associates, a forensic speech and acoustics laboratory, has confirmed the authenticity of the recordings.

Journalist Robert Fisk argued the leaks were a clear sign that events after the 30 June mass protests were a premeditated military coup, rather than a spontaneous response to protests demanding the overthrow of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

This contradicts the official version told by army generals.


This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.