The trial of the two Egyptian secret policemen accused of beating Khalid Saeed to death is postponed until 26 February, judicial sources said on Saturday. Khalid Saeed's murder in Alexandria in June 2010 attracted widespread media attention and stirred the outrage of human rights groups both in Egypt and worldwide. Two policemen allegedly beat the 28-year-old man to death. Defense Lawyer Hafez Abu Seaida on Saturday's session called for the death penalty for the suspects, a judicial source told Al-Masry Al-Youm. The source added that Abu Seaida raised doubts about the validity of forensic reports stating that Saeed suffocated after swallowing a roll of marijuana. The defense team accused police investigators of rushing Saeed's body to the morgue, washing it and changing his shirt with another to remove signs of the crime. All evidence had therefore been erased before Alexandria prosecutors came to inspect the body. Last year, Alexandria's District Attorney said the autopsy report ruled out the possibility that the deceased had been beaten or assaulted in any way, noting that no traces of violence had been found. According to witnesses, Saeed was dragged out of an internet cafe before having his head hit repeatedly against a solid surface. Saeed's family have reportedly claimed that he was killed after posting a video on the Internet that apparently showed police involved in drug deals. Eventually, policemen Mahmoud Salah Mahmoud and Awad Ismail Suleiman were referred to criminal court on charges that included illegal arrest and the use of excessive force. Their trial began in July under close scrutiny from human rights advocacy groups.
