The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners Campaign

Hand in Hand for Combating Torture in Egypt

Cairo: 16/9/2004

The Criminal Court in Cairo retries a police officer in Bab Al She’reya station

After the Cassation Court accepted his appeal in the ruling issued against him with five years in prison on suspicion of torture crime

On Saturday session September 18, 2004 The Criminal Court in Cairo will retry the officer Salah Darwish after the cassation court has accepted his appeal to the ruling against him with five years in prison on suspicion of torture crime issued from criminal court of Cairo circuit 19 on May 21, 2003 in felony No. 1-711/2003 Bab Al She’reya felonies registered in No. 33/2003 middle Cairo. The suspects are Ihab Maher Aly Al Hefnawy “head of investigations in Bab Al She’reya police station” and Ahmed Salah Darwish “assistant head of investigations”. They are accused of torturing a suspect to death. The court judged the first suspect not guilty, sentenced the other to five years in prison, and obliged him to pay the fees.

 The incidents date back to the period from March 23, 2001 to April 8, 2001. The two suspects were accused of torturing the victim Mohamed Al Hussieny Imam Mohamed the suspected in case No. 2152, 2100, 2322/2001 in Bab AL She’reya felonies, 2785/2001 Al Darb Al Ahmar felonies, 2884/2001 Abdin felonies, 1524/2001 Al Zaher felonies and assaulting on him using a whip in addition to electric shocks that cause his blood circulation and breathing system to be stopped that led to his death according to the anatomic analysis.

 The case was referred to the court in session of April 19, 2003 and postponed for bringing witnesses in session of May 17, 2003. in this session the witnesses were heard and the defense of the plaintiff with the civil right and suspects defense and after discussion the case was postponed for judgment in which the previous ruling was issued and that is the verdict appealed by the second suspect before Cassation court that accepted his appeal and referred it a new criminal circuit to retry him. 

Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners