The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners Campaign

Hand in Hand for Combating Torture in Egypt

Cairo: 3/8/2004

Giza Criminal Court postpones case No. 28608/2003, in which five suspects are accused of killing the husband of the actor Habeba and the investigation officer also, the accused of torturing Habeba to confess to the murder.
 

On session of today Tuesday August 3, 2004, Giza Criminal Court postpones case No. 28608/2003 registered as 4451/2003 to session of October 3, 2004, in which five suspects are accused of killing the husband of the actor Habeba and the investigation officer also, who is accused of torturing Habeba to confess to the murder so that the lawyer of the fourth suspect called Fathy Mabrouk who is pre-decided to attend in court to hear his statements.

The court decided to join the case documents of Habeba's retrial. On February 17, 2004, the Cassation court annulled the Criminal court verdict of sentencing Habeba to ten years I prison with hard labor on suspicion of killing her husband and returning the case documents to Cairo Appeal court to determine a court circuit to consider the case again. Giza Criminal court decided to consider the case with the case of the retrial of the five suspects in killing her husband and the investigation officer also "lieutenant/ Yasser Al Akkad", who is accused of torturing Habeba to confess to the murder to attend the next session.

This comes after the Attorney general has issued his decision of referring the officer/ Yaser AlAkkad in the Criminal Investigation Bureau in the Public Security section. The public attorney accused him of torturing and forcing the actress Habeba to confess a crime she did not commit, and for forging official reports when he was the head of the Investigation Bureau in Al Haram police station then.

This decision came after the Prosecution Bureau of Incidents in the southern Giza took over the investigation with the mentioned officer in the incident for torturing the citizen Habeba and forcing her to confess to killing her husband /Attallah Ga’far Attallah “Qatarian”. That is why; she was condemned in committing the crime, and had been sentenced to ten years in prison. She spent five years in prison until the true killers appeared and confessed that they had committed the crime. That is what the investigation and the coroner’s report assured, which revealed that the crime circumstances suit the confession of the true killers and don’t suit that of Habeba’s who was obliged to confess committing the crime under the pressure of beating and threats. They threatened to strip her clothes. In addition, the police assistants beat her by their sticks on different parts in her body that led to her having wounded seriously as stated in the two reports of the coroner.

In this frame, it is worthy saying that HRAAP has reported to the Public Attorney Mr. Maher Abd Awahed in 4/12/2003 to investigate in the issue of torture of the actress Habeba in addition to torturing other four citizens from Toukh and forcing them to confess a killing crime. The report was registered as 12207 in 11/12/2003, in order to Cairo Prosecution Appeal Bureau takes the necessary legal measurements. Then, it was registered by 6197 in 13/12/2003 and was signed to be reviewed to take the necessary legal measurements.

 Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners