Egypt's Attorney general, Hisham Barakat has opened an investigation in the case of the policemen involved in Talaat Harb's protest dispersal Saturday which left a female protester dead, according to a statement issued by the prosecutor's office Sunday. Shaimaa Al Sabbagh, a member of the Socialist Popular Alliance party, was killed by fatal shotgun pellets during a confrontation with security forces, in a protest organized by the party on the eve of Jan. 25 4th anniversary. Spokesperson of the Egyptian Forensic Authority, Hisham Abdel Hamid, declined to comment on the final report of Sabbagh's death, claiming that the Attorney general was about to order a publication ban on the case. "The death was caused by a bird shot penetrating Sabbagh's back from a close distance, about 8 meters," Abdel Hamid told Al Hayat Al Youm private TV channel in a phone call Saturday, adding that this type of bullets was commonly used by both police and civilians alike. Despite social net-workers posting photos of security forces firing shots at the Talaat Harb protestors, the ministry of Interior interior denied any responsibility in Sabbagh's death and announced, in an official statement, the opening of an investigation on the incident. Prime minister, Ibrahim Mahlab expressed his "full confidence" in the "probity" of the prosecution's investigation to reveal the real killer, affirming that the perpetrator would receive his punishment whomever he may be. Hours after the event, the Socialist Popular Alliance Party (SPAP) announced, on its Twitter account, that it would hold a press conference Sunday noon to reveal the full facts surrounding Sabbagh's death. The ministry of Interior's statement confirmed that six persons, who took part in the Saturday demonstration, were detained pending investigations..
