SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED OVER EGYPT VIOLENCE, STRESSES PEACE AHEAD OF PLANNED DEMONSTRATIONS

NEW YORK, October 5, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

Ahead of announced demonstrations marking a national holiday in Egypt on Sunday, the Secretary-General stresses the importance of peaceful protest, respect for freedom of assembly and commitment to non-violence. He also expresses his concern at the serious violence today in Cairo.

The Secretary-General continues to underscore the need for political inclusion, full respect for human rights, including of those detained in prison, and the rule of law as the basis for a peaceful, democratic transition. These are principles to which the Egyptian authorities themselves have committed in the road map they have set forth.