Cairo, 19 December 2011

ANHRI strongly denounces the statements of Major General Abdel-Moniem Kato, counselor to the armed forces on the Morale Affairs, to al-Shorouk newspaper in today’s issue. “You are concerned over some street kid who deserves to be thrown into Hitler’s incinerators” said Kato in his remarks to the newspaper.

ANHRI views such remarks as irresponsible and anyone stating them should be publicly and clearly penalized. The Egyptian military should not leave its soldiers subject to directives of this official who does not hesitate to declare Nazi opinions that incite hatred and justify violence against citizens he disagrees with.

It is worth noting that the Moral Affairs’ role is to educate and raise the awareness of the Egyptian soldiers, among other duties. ANHRI considers that it is a disaster and a huge crime that such General is responsible for the Egyptian soldiers’ awareness. His opinions that call for pursuing Hitler’s approach, even metaphorically, are behind the excessive and atrocious violence against Egyptian protesters, as seen in online videos and in newspapers by millions of people. Even if some of the protesters were at fault, or were responsible for whatever is attributed to them, the violence committed by the party entrusted to protect them cannot be justified. Such Nazi remarks that incite hatred cannot be justified either.

ANHRI stresses that the General’s remarks adds him to the list of people required to be investigated and tried, side by side with police or military officers who killed, tortured, abused the inviolability of a woman or a man’s body, or spread rumors.

“Those who rest assured of impunity should know that they will be penalized one day for their crimes, especially that the statute of limitations does not apply in such cases” said ANHRI.

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