The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) on Wednesday called on the Attorney General to refer for speedy trial the policeman who allegedly opened fire on board a train traveling between Upper Egypt and Cairo.
The organization said it was deeply concerned over the shooting that killed a Copt and injured five others aboard an Assiut-Cairo train. EOHR Head Hafez Abu Saada said the train attack is just the latest in a long line of train incidents that have recently made headlines, the most prominent of which was a 2002 Ayyat train crash that killed 30 people and injured 50.
He also said the incident resulted from a failure to take the necessary precautions to protect citizens. Abu Saada said the government needs to establish safety and maintenance regulations for the transportation sector, and to establish a unit specialized in managing these types of incidents.
Abu Saada discounted sectarian motives for the killing. He called for an immediate investigation into the incident and for an urgent and fair trial for the perpetrator.
He also called for re-opening investigations into past humanitarian disasters in order to bring those responsible to trial.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
