ALEXANDRIA(Updated)-Egypt's Chief Prosecutor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud on Saturday referred two detectives to the criminal court for allegedly beating, illegally arresting and maltreating a 28-year-old blogger, whose death was the epicentre of a controversy from local and international human rights activists. "The two policemen will stand trial for the use of force against Khaled Saeed, as well as threatening and physically torturing him," said Yasser Refai, the Alexandria Public Attorney. He added that both policemen could be jailed for around three years if found guilty. Witnesses said two plainclothes police officers had beaten Saeed, an Internet blogger, and dragged him out of an Alexandria cyber café, where he died. Egyptian authorities previously said that he died from asphyxiation after he swallowed a packet of drugs, an allegation confirmed by two autopsy reports. The circumstances surrounding Saeed's death are unclear. Police say he was wanted for theft and weapons possession and that he resisted arrest. Supporters say he was targeted for trying to expose official corruption. His June 6 death has since become a rallying point for human rights activists. Since then, thousands of people have taken to the streets of Alexandria and Cairo to condemn alleged police brutality. Some carried posters that said: "Killed by barbarians". "We are going to file a petition to the General Prosecution in order to give us a permission to assign a forensic doctor to make a new autopsy on Khaled's body," said Mohamed Abdel Aziz, a lawyer for Saeed. He added that the final autopsy report had some loopholes and some unanswered questions. Mohamed ElBaradei, the former chief of the UN nuclear agency and now an Egyptian reformist figure, visited Saeed's family last week to offer his condolences. "I think the message should be clear," said ElBaradei, making his most highprofile appearance since leaving the International Atomic Energy Agency late last month. "This should be the last time we witness torture in Egypt." Aphotograph of Said's pummeled face is on a Facebook page devoted to him.
