Justice Denied

Retribution to the martyrs of the Revolution is one of the core demands of Egypt's 2011 Revolution. More than three years later, this demand is yet to be fulfilled. This book does not aim to prove the existence of impunity in Egypt but rather to propose an analytical framework that can show how the Egyptian legal system perpetuates impunity. Two dimensions for analysis of the Maspero and Ramlat Boulaq cases are presented: strategic and structural dimensions of impunity. Strategic impunity is defined as ad-hoc measures taken by the authorities to derail processes of accountability and structural impunity is defined as inherent traits of the legal system that prevent successful prosecutions of human rights violations. Through the examination of some measures taken by the authorities for legislative and security sector reforms, I highlight their lack of political will to break the cycle of impunity. In contrast, I analyze a proposal made by the “Police for Egypt” initiative for security sector reform and transitional justice.