THE EGYPTIAN government regularly tortures and illegally detains its citizens under the pretext of fighting terrorism, according to the international human rights group, Amnesty International.
"It would seem that the rule of law is sacrificed in Egypt. Gross human rights violations are continuing - and in many cases increasing - in the name of fighting terrorism," Amnesty said in a report.
Islamist militants have been fighting a low level guerrilla campaign to overthrow President Mubarak's government since 1992 - in which more than 1,000 people, including 30 western tourists, have been killed.
The report condemned the armed groups, which it said should "stop killing and committing abuses against civilians". But it added that the government's response was not justified.
"Systematic torture continues to be used against suspected members or sympathisers with armed Islamist groups and the President continues to send scores of civilians to military courts whose procedures are grossly unfair", said the report. The government has used military tribunals to try militants since 1992.
Amnesty said suspected political activists are held for up to six years without charge under emergency laws and many are denied access to families or lawyers and kept in custody even after acquittal by state security or military courts.
The report said torture methods used by the security forces include electric shocks, prolonged beating and the threatened rape or sexual abuse of female relatives in the detainee's presence. The government has consistently denied allegations of human rights abuse in the past.
"No country can say it has no violations of human rights but it takes a country which respects the rights of its citizens to investigate occasional abuses and help those who are trying to uncover them", a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official responded yesterday.
Amnesty also criticised Egypt's use of the death penalty, saying 25 death sentences were passed in the first four months of this year and four people were executed. At least 50 militants have been executed in the last three years and about 80 have been sentenced to death.