Egypt

Alexandria court postpones trial of policemen accused of torture

The Alexandria Criminal Court on Monday decided to postpone the first session of the trial for policemen accused of killing a Salafi man, Sayed Bilal, in January.

In October, Alexandria prosecutors ordered the referral of the five accused policemen to criminal court on charges that they tortured Bilal to death.

The court postponed the session to 9 February.

The prosecution has accused the suspects of torture, arresting a citizen without reason, and murder, state-run news agency MENA reported.

Bilal's family has accused security authorities of torturing the 31-year-old until he died during interrogations at a police station in January. 

Police had said Bilal was implicated in the bombing of an Alexandria church on New Year's Eve that killed 23 and injured dozens. They took him from his home on 5 January.

The Alexandria Criminal Court was supposed to review the lawsuit Tuesday. But it decided to postpone the review until the parliamentary poll's third phase ends in January, as judges and security forces are busy with supervising and securing elections.

Judicial sources said Sunday that four suspects are being tried in absentia.

Media reported this month that Bilal's forensic report shows that wounds on his body were the cause of his death.

Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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