On Sunday, October 9, 2011, 25 people were killed and more than 300 injured when the Egyptian military attacked a peaceful group of Coptic Christians protesting the burning of a church in Aswan. In what has been deemed the “Massacre at Maspero,” referring to the location of the demonstration, witnesses say the army fired on the demonstrators with live ammunition and plowed into the crowd with armored vehicles. The military denied the use of live ammunition and claimed that their soldiers were attacked by an armed mob. The military has arrested at least 28 people, almost all Copts, including prominent blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, and brought them before military prosecutors. The hearing focused on violence perpetrated against the Coptic Christians in Egypt, the implications of the events for that community and the current Egyptian leadership, and prospects for the consolidation of democracy in Egypt.
Members
Hon. Chris Smith
Chairman
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Hon. Joseph Pitts
Commissioner
Commissioner on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Michael Posner
Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Department of State
Hon. Robert Aderholt
Commissioner
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Hon. Gus Bilirakis
Congressman
U.S. House of Representatives
Witnesses
Dina Guirguis
Attorney
Egyptian American Rule of Law Association
Samuel Tadros
Research Fellow
Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom
Dr. Michele Dunne
Director, Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
Atlantic Council
Relevant Issues
Relevant Countries
Leadership
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