« I am deeply shocked at the disproportionate use of force by the police during the clearing of pro-Morsi gatherings in Cairo," said today Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

"Although the number of dead has not yet been definitely established, such a toll, in an an operation against demonstrators, is unacceptable."

The President urged the Egyptian authorities to "exercise restraint and not to use live rounds against their own population".

He concluded: "A constructive dialogue between all political forces in the country, to avoid a worsening situation and to seek a political solution to the crisis, has become more urgent than ever."