CAIRO: It is a scene Egyptians unfortunately know all too well: the killing of citizens at the hands of the police. On Friday, protests erupted and scores attacked a central Cairo police station after a man was reportedly beaten to death by a police officer. Local Egyptian newspapers said that 45-year-old driver Mohamed Said had become embroiled in a dispute with a senior police officer in the center of the city over parking violations. A fight then ensued and eye witnesses say he was beaten and tortured to death inside the police station, although there has been no official statement as to the cause of death. Hundreds then gathered near the police station, throwing makeshift Molotov cocktails at the facility and setting a nearby police car ablaze. One eye witness told Bikya Masr that “the police were being accused of torturing and murdering the man, and they were really angry. I am surprised there wasn't more violence.” Security sources denied any wrongdoing and said the driver appeared to have collapsed as a result of low blood pressure. The interior ministry said it was investigating the incident. Mohamed Madkour, the senior police officer with whom Said fought, assured that the latter was not abused by any officer. “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 to the same program and said: “He [Said] 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.” It is extremely reminiscent of the police murder of Khaled Said in Alexandria last year, which became a major catalyst for the January 25 uprising that ousted the country's government. Khalid Said's murder in Alexandria in June 2010 sparked widespread protests and the outrage of human rights groups both in Egypt and worldwide. It also led to the creation of several Facebook pages commemorating Khaled Said and condemning the abuses carried out by policemen in Egypt. Those pages, including the “We are all Khaled Said,” made the initial call for Egyptians to take to the streets on January 25 and is largely credited with being the initial instrument for bringing out hundreds of the thousands of people to the streets. According to witnesses, Said was taken from an internet cafe by the plainclothes police who then hit his head repeatedly against a solid surface. Said's family have claimed that he was killed after posting a video on the Internet that apparently showed police dividing the spoils of a drug bust amongst themselves. Torture was a symbol of the former regime, which imprisoned any opposition voices it deemed dangerous and local and international rights groups have long reported on the violence and methods of torture in Egypt. BM
