Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

Amnesty International has urged the Egyptian authorities to ensure that justice is done in the case of Khaled Said, an Egyptian allegedly beaten to death by two police officers one year ago.

A verdict in the case of the two police officers accused of killing Khaled Said last June in Alexandria is expected on Thursday.

The 28-year-old was allegedly dragged out of an internet cafe by police officers in June last year and beaten to death.

Shocking pictures of his barely recognizable face taken in the morgue were widely circulated online and his case became a rallying cry for pro-reform protesters in Egypt earlier this year.

“A year after his death, Khaled Said’s family still wait for justice. His case highlights the widely shared belief that the Egyptian authorities are still not doing enough to deliver justice  - not only for Khaled Said but for all those unlawfully killed and injured by the security forces during mass protests earlier this year,” said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.

“This belief is exacerbated by the slowness with which the authorities are handling trials of police officers accused of killing protesters during the uprising, when more than 800 died, and the fact that many of those facing trial have not been suspended from active duty and remain in positions where they can intimidate witnesses and subvert justice,” he said.

Egypt’s chief medical examiner, Ahmed al-Sebaie, has claimed that Khaled Said died as a result of swallowing a lump of marijuana, and not as a result of police beating. He has since been sacked from his position.

Speaking to Amnesty International, Khaled Said’s mother said: “I get very angry when I hear that those who killed my sons and their lawyers continue to tarnish his reputation. They do not want to leave him in peace even when he is dead”.

She added that she will not attend the court hearing tomorrow due to her ill health.

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