by Kenneth Odour, Nairobi

CAIRO, Egypt May 13 (Garowe Online) - Egyptian authorities have been urged to launch an investigation into the beating of an online activist by security agents.

Human rights activist Ahmed Maher Ibrahim was allegedly beaten by Egyptian security officers for using the online network site Facebook to support calls for a strike on May 8, 2008, which happened to be on the eve of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's 80th birthday.

In a strongly worded statement appearing on their Web site, Human Rights Watch, a lobby group that fights for upholding human rights across the world, called on the Egyptian government to apprehend the security officers responsible for Maher's beating and subject them to the law.

"This is the work of thugs, pure and simple. The government must show that those responsible for upholding the law are also subject to the law," said Joe Stork, Human Rights Watch deputy director for the Middle East.

According to confessions made to HRW by the 27-year old engineer, the security officers apprehended him from his car and bungled him into a van where they tied his hands and blind-folded him.

Mr. Maher was later taken to a room where he was allegedly abused and beaten. The security officers even threatened to rape him with a stick, according to one account.

"Maher's treatment is part of abuse and extralegal intimidation by state officials. Egypt needs to put an end to the lawlessness of its law enforcement officers," Stork added.

HRW said that Egypt as a country ratified the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and must therefore respect the provisions of that covenant.

Mr. Maher was reportedly beaten for 12 hours by the security officers and later released without any charges brought against him in court.

Source: Garowe Online