On Monday, the Alexandria Criminal Court adjourned the retrial of the two policemen accused of torturing 28-year-old Khaled Saeed to death to 3 March for a sentence hearing.
The defense demanded the court summon the brother of Khaled Saeed to trial on charges of making false report to the police, and accused him of inciting witnesses to give false testimonies. The defense also accused Saeed of being a criminal and a drug addict.
The last session witnessed a state of commotion inside the court hall due to disputes between relatives of the defendants and activists who described the defendants as “murderers.”
The two defendants, Mahmoud Salah Mahmoud and Awad Ismail Suliman, were sentenced to seven years in jail in October 2011. Family and supporters of Saeed were shocked at what they considered a light sentence.
Saeed’s murder became a symbol of police brutality and is widely believed to have helped trigger the 25 January revolution, which began as a protest against police brutality on National Police Day in 2011.
A medical examiner’s report following his death further sparked widespread outrage, as murder and torture were ruled out as causes of death. Initial medical reports claimed Saeed had died of asphyxiation after swallowing a bag of marijuana to hide it from police.
The court adjourned the retrial to the session on 3 March for a sentence hearing.
The defense demanded the court bring the brother of Khaled Saeed to trial on charges of making a false report to the police, and accused him of inciting witnesses to give false testimonies.
The defense also accused Saeed of being a criminal and a drug addict.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
