Egypt: police used excessive force against protesters

A panel of MPs has determined that security forces used excessive force in confronting demonstrators during clashes in downtown Cairo that have left eight dead so far. On Monday morning, People's Assembly speaker Saad al-Katatny asked the panel to investigate the situation after Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim assured him that police forces had not used shotgun pellets during the encounters. Since Thursday, the area around the ministry has witnessed clashes between security forces and demonstrators outraged by police negligence during violence at a Port Said football match on Wednesday that left at least 74 dead. The Parliament-appointed panel includes the chairman of the People's Assembly's Youth and Sports Committee Osama Yassin, the chairman of the Defense and National Security Committee Abbas Mekheimar and MP Mohamed Abu Hamed. During the Monday session, Abu Hamed showed a shotgun cartridge which he claimed to have obtained from the scene of the clashes. But Katatny refused to give Abu Hamed the chance to complete his argument before panel members returned from their field tour, which sparked objections among several MPs. Katatny has also charged the Defense and National Security Committee with preparing a draft law for restructuring police services. He stressed that the committee immediately responded to the developments by holding extended sessions to tackle the political situation. Katatny has tasked the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee with recommending rules on peaceful protests and police response. The assembly's speaker said that Parliament membership no longer provides a shield from accountability, as was the case under Mubarak’s rule. He urged the current Parliament to represent the revolution and to push for achieving people's demands. Cairo - Al masry al youm