Egypt President says police state is over

Egypt’s military-backed interim president said Thursday that the country’s uprisings have put an end to the police state and to abuses, part of a campaign to rebrand the security forces amid a heavy handed crackdown on Islamists and other critics of the government.

Adly Mansour’s comments marking Police Day celebrations came despite continued reports of abuses by security forces. Rights groups have criticized police for using excessive force in breaking up Islamist protests in a crackdown that killed hundreds of protesters. Last month, female secular activists said they were beaten in a police station after being arresting for holding a protest.

Security forces have also carried out a wave of arrests as part of a campaign against terrorism and implementing draconian new laws against protests, jailing a number of journalists and many of the top secular activists who led the 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.