Joe Pitts: “I rise today out of concern for what is happening in the country of Egypt. Our State Department's Country Reports this…”

“I rise today out of concern for what is happening in the country of Egypt. Our State Department's Country Reports this year detail security and police abuses against citizens from minority backgrounds. The Reports detailed one horrifying situation in which police brutalized over 1,200 Egyptian Coptik Christians in the village of El-Kosheh. The official Egyptian report of the incident, in response, states that there was no torture or abuse. Mr. Speaker, look at these photos. We can see the wounds made on this man's flesh. We can see in the faces of the little children who were dashed to the ground and beaten while in their mothers' arms. The apparent unwillingness of the Egyptian Government to punish police officers involved in these human rights violations, or even admit that these violations occurred is very unfortunate. Recent news reports suggest that the police officers involved in these human rights violations were not only not punished but rewarded by the government. I urge the Egyptian Government to take serious measures to correct police brutality and correct the injustices perpetrated against the minorities in El-Kosheh.”