Twelve years after Egyptian forces turned Rabaa Square into a killing field, massacring thousands who stood against the coup against President Mohamed Morsi, Muslims in Türkiye gathered in Istanbul to honor the martyrs and demand justice for Egypt’s political prisoners.

The commemoration, organized by Özgür-Der and the Egyptian Associations Federation with support from numerous NGOs, sought to spotlight the ongoing plight of more than 70,000 political prisoners enduring inhumane conditions in Egyptian jails. It also served as a renewed call for justice against the oppressive regime of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

The event at Fatih Saraçhane Park began with a moving recitation from the Holy Quran by Sheikh Hüseyin. Activists, community leaders, and Muslim Brotherhood supporters filled the venue, united in condemning the bloody crackdown on dissent following the July 3, 2013 coup that ousted Egypt’s first democratically elected president.

Kenan Alpay

“Rabaa was a systematic slaughter”

Speaking to the crowd, journalist Kenan Alpay described the Rabaa Massacre as “a calculated, systematic killing,” carried out by soldiers and intelligence agents against peaceful demonstrators who represented the will of the Egyptian people. He reminded attendees that some 70,000 individuals remain behind bars — including Muslim Brotherhood leaders like Supreme Guide Mohammed Badi and Mohamed al-Beltagi — subjected to torture, denied medical care, and cut off from their families.

“Just as the genocide in Gaza is being met with global indifference, the suffering in Egypt is ignored,” Alpay said. He denounced Sisi as “a despot and accomplice of Israel,” and reaffirmed the Muslim Brotherhood’s resilience in the face of relentless persecution.

Mithad Haddad

“The killers will be held accountable”

Mithad Haddad, President of the Egyptian Associations Federation, recounted the horrors of August 14, 2013, when “23,000 women, 12,000 children, and countless others were martyred by Sisi’s brutal forces.” He condemned the continued imprisonment of tens of thousands who are “left hungry, thirsty, and deprived of medication” in Egypt’s prisons.

Comparing Sisi’s alliance with Israel to the blockade on Gaza, Haddad warned: “Those who murdered honorable people will one day face justice, just as war criminals in Bosnia were eventually held accountable. Insha’Allah, the time will come when we will hold them accountable for their crimes.”

Mehmet Eşin

“Unity of Muslims is the only way forward”

HÜDA PAR Istanbul Provincial Chairman Mehmet Eşin invoked the words of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hasan El-Benna: “We are a community that gets things done.” He lamented the lack of unity that left Morsi vulnerable and warned that failing to defend Gaza today could embolden “Zionist” aggression in cities like Istanbul and Ankara tomorrow.

“Either we will all perish together, or we will all win together,” Eşin declared, calling on Muslims to dedicate themselves to unity, piety, jihad, and advocacy for the oppressed. He urged the Turkish government to ensure that any relations with Egypt do not come at the expense of Egyptian refugees in Türkiye. “These relations should never be against those seeking refuge with us,” he warned.

A continuing struggle for justice

The Rabaa Massacre remains one of the darkest chapters in Egypt’s modern history, with the late President Mohamed Morsi — who died in prison in 2019 — symbolizing the nation’s struggle for democracy and justice. The Istanbul gathering reaffirmed the Muslim Brotherhood’s unwavering commitment to resisting Sisi’s regime, securing the release of political prisoners, and standing in solidarity with all oppressed peoples, including those in Gaza.

As the commemoration concluded, participants renewed their pledge to seek justice for the martyrs of Rabaa and the thousands still imprisoned. Their message was clear: truth and righteousness will ultimately prevail over tyranny. (ILKHA)