U.N. Rights Chief Deplores Killing of Protesters in Egypt

The United Nations human rights chief said Tuesday he was "deeply disturbed" over the killing of 20 Egyptian protesters by security forces in clashes over the past few days.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein also demanded in a statement that Cairo "take urgent measures to bring an end to the excessive use of force by security personnel." 

Zeid's comments came after 20 protesters were killed since Friday, including leading left-wing female activist Shaimaa al-Sabbagh, said to have been hit in the back by buckshot. 

Two members of the security forces have also been killed.

And on Sunday, the fourth anniversary of the popular uprising that ousted long-time president Hosni Mubarak, Islamists clashed with security forces during rallies against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government.

Sisi ousted Mubarak's successor, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013, and his Islamist supporters have regularly clashed with security forces since then.

Sunday's death toll from clashes marked the highest for a single day since Sisi came to office after a landslide election victory last May.

Zeid said "hundreds of people have died during protests against successive governments since January 2011, and there has been very little in the way of accountability.

"The lack of justice for past excesses by security forces simply encourages them to continue on the same path," he warned, pointing out that this was "leading to more deaths and injuries, as we have seen in recent days."

The statement said Sabbagh's death was caught "on video and in photographs posted on the Internet after she had apparently been shot from behind during a peaceful protest in central Cairo." 

Zeid's condemnation came after the United States, Britain and Human Rights Watch denounced protesters' killings.

Egypt brushed off the criticism, saying it was "unbalanced... and far from reality".

"These statements overlook acts of murder, arson and terrorism that supporters of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood have carried out," a foreign ministry statement said.

Egypt has been rocked by wave of militant attacks targeting security forces since Morsi's ouster, which the authorities blame on his Muslim Brotherhood.

The movement denies carrying out attacks, which have often been claimed by jihadist groups.

Zeid also decried numerous arrests over the weekend.

Authorities said more than 500 backers of the blacklisted Brotherhood were also arrested, in the biggest daily sweep since Sisi came to power. 

"All those who have been detained for protesting peacefully must be released," Zeid said, insisting that the long-term stability of Egypt is only possible if fundamental human rights are respected."

"Otherwise people’s grievances will fester and feelings of injustice will grow, creating fertile ground for further social and political unrest."