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Why a cop controls human rights in Egypt’s parliament

Some parliament members are asking how the Human Rights Committee can carry out its mandate under the leadership of former law enforcement officials.
A general view taken on January 10, 2016 shows members of Egypt's new parliament meeting during their inaugural session in the capital Cairo.

 / AFP / STR        (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)
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Human rights is a touchy subject in Egypt, but even more so since recent parliamentary elections produced what some fear is a fox in the henhouse.

Alaa Abed, chairman of the Free Egyptian Party's parliamentary bloc, recently became chairman of the Human Rights Committee in the House of Representatives. This has stirred widespread controversy, given his previous work as a police officer and accusations — which he denies — that he was complicit in torture during his tenure at the Ministry of Interior.

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