The body of a young man whose death last summer is considered one of the catalysts of Egypt's January uprising was not photographed, according to the head medical examiner. Khaled Said's body was not documented with photographs because the delegated medical in Alexandria, where Khaled died, did the autopsy “without considering it a case of torture,” said head medical examiner Ehsan Kamel Georgy. Georgy said before he became head medical examiner photographing bodies during autopsy was not allowed, which he said was a big mistake because it allowed for suspicion in medical reports. “In Khaled Said's case the delegated doctor wrote his report as if [the death] was natural and not a case of torture, said Georgy. According to the official record, Khaled was tortured to death and his body thrown at a building's entrance. However, the doctor who performed the autopsy was unaware of this and did not take photos of the body, said Georgy. “What aroused suspicion in Egyptian public opinion was that Said's body was documented by photos after the autopsy, and thus his injuries were unclear,” said Georgy. Georgy said Said's case has not closed yet because cases of torture must be documented by photos before the autopsy to determine injuries. This process helps prevent fabrications on the medical report. The doctor wrote his report on August 4, 2010, around two months after Khaled's death. The Attorney General requested a new report after listening to eyewitnesses. Khaled's body was therefore reexamined on August 8, but by then the body had begun to decompose, to the examination did not reveal evidence of torture and thus sparked public anger. Georgy said medical team will study the two old reports and will not issue a third one. Said's body will not be examined for a third time. However, the medical team aims to find differences between the two reports. A fine arts professor will examine the photographs to determine whether they were taken before or after the autopsy. Khaled died on June 6, 2010 under disputed circumstances. Public opinion holds that he was beaten to death by two plainclothes policemen in Egypt's Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
