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Amnesty: Egypt far from justice over unrest that killed more than 800

Lateef Mungin, CNN
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Rights abuses in Egypt?
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: Egyptian government officials decline to comment
  • More needs to be done for families of the people killed during protests, the report says
  • Many who were detained were tortured, the report says
  • A team spent more than two months in Egypt to get information for the report

(CNN) -- At least 840 people were killed and more than 6,000 injured during the Egyptian revolution earlier this year as then-President Hosni Mubarak clung to power through violence and intimidation, Amnesty International said in a report Thursday.

Though protesters ultimately ousted Mubarak, Egyptian leaders have a lot of work to do to compensate victims' families and restore citizens' faith in the government, the report said.

"The Egyptian authorities have much to do to rebuild trust in public institutions, which have been seen as tools of repression and obstacles to justice," the report said.

"They must start by overhauling laws that allowed violations to happen and take steps to guarantee that such abuses will not be repeated."

Egyptian government officials declined CNN's request for comment about the report.

Amnesty International said it sent a team to Egypt, which spent more than two months conducting interviews for the 120-page report.

Hundreds of people who suffered grievous abuses are still waiting to receive justice for what happened to them
--Amnesty International
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Complaints about corruption, low wages and rigged elections sparked protesters to hit the streets of Cairo in late January.

In just 18 days, protesters were able to end Mubarak's 30-year rule.

But despite his ouster, many are still suffering, the report said.

"Many hundreds of people who suffered grievous abuses during this period are still waiting to receive justice for what happened to them," Amnesty International said.

The organization said it found "damning" evidence that Egyptian security forces used excessive force to disperse protesters.

Many died from gunshot wounds to the head and chest. One field hospital told Amnesty International that it documented 300 cases of people losing sight because of shotgun wounds to their eyes.

There were numerous cases of torture of protesters who were detained, according to the report. These cases included beatings with sticks or whips, electric shocks and threats of rape.

At least 189 prisoners died during the protests, the group said, calling for an investigation.

Egyptian authorities have detained Mubarak and his two sons in connection with the deaths of protesters.

Former Interior Minister Habib El Adly was handed a 12-year prison sentence for corruption and he will face a separate trial Saturday for his alleged role in the killings. And prosecutors are continuing to investigate other high-ranking members of the deposed government.

But Amnesty said more should be done.

"Authorities' response to victims must go much further than this," the group said. "That means giving them the truth about what happened, providing them with appropriate reparation and making sure that all those responsible are brought to justice."

Mohamed Lofty, an Egypt researcher with Amnesty International, said the organization was trying to get the truth out.

"We have found that abuses and violations of human rights has continued in a very bad manner even after Mubarak left," Lofty said Thursday. "It is very important to reveal the truth about what happened."

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