A former April 6 Youth Movement activist who was beaten in Tahrir by unidentified assailants on Tuesday has been released from the hospital Wednesday.
The assault began when Islamist activist Abdel Rahman Ezz attempted to visit April 6 activist Mohannad Samir in a Mounira hospital, where he is in critical condition after being shot in the head in Tahrir Square Monday.
Some of Samir's friends reported through social network sites that Ezz was headed with a body guard to Ahmed Mazher Hospital to visit him. Friends at the hospital allegedly assaulted Ezz to prevent him from visiting the injured activist.
As he left, Ezz was reportedly kidnapped by unknown individuals, taken to Tahrir Square, and beaten.
He was released from Red Crescent Hospital Wednesday morning and taken home by ambulance surrounded by other activists expressing their support for him.
Samir's friends justified their attack on Ezz at the hospital, alleging he had given information about President Mohamed Morsy's opponents to security forces during clashes outside the presidential palace last month. They claimed this led to the death and torture of several people. Social networks users have circulated tweets Ezz posted in December, saying he was heading with others to the palace sit-in and would use force to disperse it.
The public prosecutor has also ignored several complaints accusing Ezz of involvement in burning Wafd Party headquarters last month, the activists said.
The assault on Ezz evoked much controversy among internet users. One doctor at the Red Crescent Hospital posted photos of the injured activist with the caption “That dog, Abdel Rahman Ezz, is here with me at the hospital. I swear i will **** him.” The doctor’s comments enraged both Ezz’s supporters and opponents who demanded that the physician be interrogated and said politics should not interfere with the treatment of patients.
