DHAKA: The killings of at least 817 people by Egyptian security forces last year probably amount to a crime against humanity.

Human Rights Watch says, reports the BBC.

A report by the US-based group says 1,000 or more people probably died in one day around Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque.

The deaths came during demonstrations broken up by Egyptian security forces.

Executive director Kenneth Roth said the deaths were ‘one of the world’s largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history’.

Roth and a colleague were stopped from entering Egypt on Monday.

They were due to launch the new report at a press conference in the Egyptian capital, but were deported after being held for 12 hours at Cairo International Airport.

The group’s year-long investigation focused on six demonstrations in July and August 2013 that were forcefully broken up by security forces, then under the command of now-President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.

Sisi, who was then a general running Egypt’s military and was elected head of state in May 2014, oversaw the ousting of President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013.

In the aftermath his armed forces launched a brutal crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

BDST: 2110 HRS, AUG 12, 2014