Violence erupted between police forces and citizens in Luxor’s Awamiya neighborhood on Wednesday, as the locals protested the alleged deadly torture of a man in police custody.
The civilians were blocking a main road in the area and chanting anti-police slogans, when the police used tear gas and warning shots to disperse them.
People believe Talaat Shabib, 47, was beaten to death hours after his arrest from a local coffee shop. The reason for his arrest is still unknown. His family learned he was already dead when he was transferred to Luxor’s International Hospital escorted by police officers.
An eyewitness said Shabib was in a good health at the moment of his arrest.
Essam al-Hemali, Luxor’s security chief, denied the torture allegations, arguing that the detainee suffered “severe sickness” that caused his death on his way to hospital.
Rights advocates have decried a surge in enforced disappearances and prison torture over the past year. In June, a report by the National Council for Human Rights blamed authorities for mounting prison deaths both due to torture and poor incarceration conditions.
*Corrrection: This article previously stated that the name of the victim was Taha, and the name has been modified to Talaat.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
