Egyptian activists claim 3 killed in anti-govt protests

By Cagri Kosak

ISTANBUL (AA) - Three people were killed by police during anti-regime protests in Al-Jiza, according to Egyptian opponent activists and media outlets late Friday.

“Despite peaceful demonstrations, the Interior Ministry killed three people in Al-Iyad [in Al-Jiza],” Egyptian businessman and dissident Mohamed Ali, who lives in self-exile in Spain, said on Twitter.

Several social media activists shared footage of demonstrations in Cairo, Al-Jiza and Luxor that responded to demands by Ali to protest the rule of President Adel-Fattah al-Sisi.

This was the sixth day of anti-regime protests amid deteriorating living conditions.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s television channel, Watan, said Sami Wafdi Sayid Bashir, Riza Muhammad Abu Imam and Muhammad Nasir Hamdi Ismail were killed because of intervention by security forces.

No statement from authorities has been issued about the killings.

Ali had urged Egyptians on Facebook to hold demonstrations Friday against al-Sisi’s regime and to "break the fear barrier" in the face of a brutal crackdown of the protests by authorities.

Security forces launched random arrest campaigns, which included searching the phones of pedestrians for pictures of the protests.

Al-Sisi came to power in July 2013, after he deposed the country's first democratically elected president, Mohammad Morsi.

*Writing by Sena Guler