Human Rights Watch denounces Egypt's justice minister's "hate speech".

International rights organisation Human Rights Watch has requested Egypt’s president to condemn his country’s justice minister’s recent televised remarks “that appeared to advocate the mass killing of Muslim Brotherhood supporters.”

In a January 28, 2016 interview with a satellite television news show, Justice Minister Ahmed al-Zind said that he would not be satisfied until 10,000 Brotherhood members were killed for every slain member of the armed forces.

“President al-Sisi should clarify that his government will ensure the prosecution of anyone who commits, orders, or assists in murder or other crimes against Brotherhood supporters or any other group because of their political or ideological affiliation,” HRW said.

The organisation’s Middle East and North Africa director, Sarah Leah Whitson said the fact that Egyptian security forces have already committed mass killings of Brotherhood supporters, while judges have sentenced hundreds of others to death in mass trials, means that Justice Minister Ahmed al-Zind’s threat is very real.

Egypt has been dogged by instability since Egypt’s first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was overthrown in a military coup on July 3, 2013.

Since Morsi’s ouster, Egyptian authorities have carried out a relentless crackdown on dissent that has mainly targeted the ousted president’s supporters, leaving hundreds dead and thousands behind bars.