Protesters attack Egypt police station after driver dies‎

[News_Editor]

Protesters attack Egypt police station after driver dies‎

2011-06-04 22:16:31 GMT+7 (ICT)

CAIRO (BNO NEWS) -- Angry protesters attacked a police station in downtown Cairo after a man was allegedly beaten to death by a police officer, Ahram online reported on Saturday.

According to accounts, forty-year-old chauffeur, Mohamed Saeed, entered into a fight with a senior police officer outside the El-Azbakia police station. Reportedly, he was later taken inside with 13 other mini-bus drivers for parking violations.

Shortly afterwards, Saeed was pronounced dead, yet it is not clear what caused his demise.

A crowd of hundreds, including his relatives and fellow drivers, gathered around the station on Friday and threw Molotov cocktails at the facilities, setting fire to a police car. The protesters accused the police of torturing the driver to death.

Security sources denied any foul play and said Saeed seemed to have collapsed of low blood pressure. The interior ministry said it was investigating the incident.

Mohamed Madkour, the senior police officer with whom Saeed fought, assured that the latter was not abused by any policemen.

"He physically assaulted me, which caused pedestrians on the streets to beat him up," he told Al-Jazeera Mubasher TV. "According to an initial medical report, he suffered from some bruises and injuries but they were definitely not the reason why he died … medical tests are still underway to determine the cause of death."

One of the victim's cousins later phoned in and said: "He [saeed] was tortured by the police. I've seen the body, it's all covered by blue spots. There are also burn marks that indicate he was electrocuted."

Activists have called for a protest in front of the ministry of interior building on Monday, 6 June – the anniversary of Khaled Saeed's torture and death. According to eyewitnesses, Saeed died after two policemen beat him to death.

Saeed's death is believed to be one of the reasons behind the 25 January Revolution that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-04