By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
CAIRO, EGYPT (Worthy News)-- Human Rights Watch has called upon Egyptian authorities to bring those responsible for the deaths and injuries of Christians to justice after Muslim police failed to prevent the Islamist inspired violence outside St. Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo on April 7.
Mahrous Ibrahim was shot dead and 89 other Christians were wounded in an assault by Muslims on a funeral procession for four Christians killed in earlier violence at al-Khosous.
"The authorities urgently need to get to the bottom of the violence at Khosous and at the subsequent funerals, and bring all those responsible to justice, promptly and fairly," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East and North Africa director for Human Rights Watch. "President Morsi should ask his police chief why the police failed to uphold the law and protect those under attack, and insist the chief take steps to ensure that the police do their job in future."
Footage taken by an Egyptian newspaper revealed riot police shooting tear gas at St. Mark's at the direction of men who were also throwing stones at the cathedral, according to BarnabasAid.
Although Coptic Christians have long suffered at the hands of Egypt's Muslim majority, these sufferings have intensified since the revolution that placed President Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood in control of the country. Human Rights Watch has reported five separate incidents of sectarian violence since Morsi was elected last June, yet to date there have been no prosecutions in connection with any of these incidents.