The Court of Cassation has accepted the appeal of two policemen who were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment last year on charges of torturing Khaled Saeed to death.
Former Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud had referred the two policemen, Mahmoud Salah and Awad Suleiman, to criminal court in July 2010 after they were charged with the unjustified arrest and torture of a citizen. The Alexandria Criminal Court will hear their appeal trial.
Saeed was killed on 6 June 2010 after being beaten by the two policemen, who had arrested him at an Internet cafe in Sidi Gaber, Alexandria. He was reportedly detained after he uploaded videos on the Internet showing police officers torturing prisoners.
Saeed’s killing became a symbol of police brutality and is widely believed to have triggered the 25 January revolution. The medical examiner’s reports on his death also sparked widespread controversy after murder and torture were ruled out. Medical reports claimed Saeed died of asphyxiation after swallowing a bag of marijuana to hide it from police.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
