French press review 17 August 2013

The violence in Egypt continues to attract front-page attention as the power struggle continues to intensify between the military-backed regime and the Muslim Brotherhood Movement demands the reinstatement of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.

Aujourd’hui en France’s coverage is epitomized by two graphic photographs published in today’s issue. One of the images is of an old pick-up truck loaded with angry-looking Islamists transporting the bodies of demonstrators allegedly shot dead by security forces on Friday.

The paper reports that 70 Islamists were killed as the Muslim Brotherhood staged a day of rage to protest the military crackdown. Demonstrators told the paper that security forces were shooting at them with live ammunition.

Le Figaro believes that the Muslim Brotherhood have confirmed their “fiercely anti-Christian reputation” as they are now turning their wrath against Egypt’s eight million Copt population.

According to the paper, Islamist militias have burnt down more than 50 churches, hundreds of shops, homes and villages while others are roaming the streets and beating up anyone found wearing a cross.

Le Figaro regrets that the Copts who make up 10 per cent of the Egypt’s population now live in a perpetual state of fear and terror, apparently “cursed to become the sacrificial victims of all violence in Egypt”.

Le Monde is urging the European Union to suspend all aid to the regime in Cairo following the massacre perpetrated against civilians by the Egyptian military. The EU’s total package to the Arab country stands at five billion euros. For the paper, the time of loud-sounding condemnations and resolutions is over and action must be taken against the military-backed regime in Cairo.

Their conduct according to the paper leaves the country facing two tragic options: dictatorship or civil war. Le Monde explains that the radical stance taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and the military has pushed Egypt, into a long period of chaos and uncertainty, a dangerous condition for a key player in conflict-prone Middle East region.

Saturday’s French dailies pay tribute to French lawyer Jacques Vergès, who died in Paris on Thursday at the age of 88. He suffered a heart attack in the house where 18th century enlightenment philosopher Voltaire once lived.

Vergès who earned the nickname "Devil's advocate" became famous after defending a series of high-profile criminals from Klaus Barbie to Carlos the Jackal. Le Figaro describes him “a warrior in black robes”.

Libération marks the passing of the provocative lawyer with the headline ‘”disappeared again”, recalling that he vanished into thin air between 1970 and 1978 and has passed away without saying where he was during those 8 years. His career was full of bright and dark spots concludes Aujourd’hui en France and for Le Monde Maître Vergès was most of all “a man who lived his passion fully and right to the end”.