CAIRO - Egypt's military on Monday denied using violence on demonstrators and said it was taking steps to address accusations of torture and that women protesters were forced to undergo virginity tests.
"We do not use violence and thuggery," General Mamduh Shahin, of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, told a press conference.
"If there were violations by some military individuals, they will be questioned," he said. Amnesty International last week condemned the "shocking" treatment of women protesters after allegations that army officers tortured them and forced them to take virginity tests in the wake of a protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
"The Egyptian authorities must halt the shocking and degrading treatment of women protesters," the rights group demanded.
A statement by the military council, posted on its Facebook page, said it "took the necessary measures to ascertain the truth of this matter and adopted what is necessary toward it."
"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces appeals to the Egyptian people and the revolution's youth not to drift towards or pay notice to tendentious rumours and repeat them," it said, "nor accusations and slander...that only serve the revolutions enemies."
Amnesty said the 18 women were initially taken to a Cairo Museum annex where they were reportedly handcuffed, beaten with sticks and hoses, given electric shocks in the chest and legs, and called "prostitutes".
The military, in power since a revolt forced veteran president Hosni Mubarak to resign on February 11, mostly stood aside during the protests that toppled him but has since dispersed some demonstrations.
