Dozens of protesters gathered in front of the Supreme Judicial Court in downtown Cairo on Sunday to commemorate the death of Khaled Saeed, the young man from Alexandria allegedly beaten to death by police early last month.
The protest marked the 40-day anniversary of Saeed’s death, which had ignited angry public reactions and triggered a series of popular protests, marches and online anti-police brutality campaigns.
“We’ve waited for 25 years, but our condition has not improved,” chanted protesters from various political groups, including the Egyptian Movement for Change (Kefaya) and the National Association for Change. “Tomorrow the revolution will come.”
Demonstrators were surrounded by dozens of riot police who prevented passersby from joining the action.
“Our voices will not be silenced,” protesters, nevertheless, shouted in unison.
“We’re demanding punishment for those who killed Khaled Saeed,” said 21-year-old demonstrator Wessam Atta, member of the activist group Youth for Justice.
Official forensic reports stated that Saeed had died after swallowing a small plastic bag of marijuana. Eyewitnesses, however, say they saw two policemen savagely beating the young man to death outside a local Internet café.
Shortly after Saeed’s death, pictures of the young man’s mangled corpse appeared on the Internet showing massive damage to his head, face and neck.
In a previous interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm, Saeed’s uncle, Ali Qassem, said the pictures had been taken before the official autopsy had been performed.
The first hearing in the case is set for 27 July.
