A second video of Central Security Forces (CSF) beating a citizen was broadcast on Saturday night. It showed CSF beating and dragging a girl around the presidential palace and has provoked anger among several political groups and activists.
The Egyptian Police Facebook page denied that the person in the video was female, claiming instead that the video shows a man wearing a hood who was caught by CSF as he tried to enter the palace. The Facebook statement added that the man was dragged by CSF only whilst he was being arrested.
The presidency did not comment on the incident. Political activists criticised security forces and demanded the dismissal of Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim.
“Whoever was arrested, and whatever he or she has done, the video showed the humiliation of an Egyptian citizen and it showed the same ugly images that we saw with Hamada Saber the day before,” said Heba Yassin, media spokesperson for the Egyptian Popular Current.
Yassin claimed that Egyptian police are protecting the interests of those in power, rather than the security of Egyptians. She added that the minister of interior should be sacked and that the whole police system should be restructured and referred to psychiatric treatment. “Violence will never stop Egyptians from demanding their rights,” she said.
Ahmed Douma, a revolutionary activist, described security forces as “the dogs of those in power”, and claimed that the ministry of interior frequently commits crimes openly and then denies them: “This chain of inhumanity has to end. Dismissing the minister would not be enough. We want a whole new security system, because those security personnel only know how to humiliate Egyptians, instead of protecting them.”
On Friday, independent television channel Al-Hayah TV broadcast a video showing CSF stripping, beating and attacking Hamada Saber Ali during Friday’s clashes.
The Ministry of Interior apologised for the incident and ordered an investigation into the matter. Ali denied being assaulted by CSF during investigations conducted at the prosecution office on Saturday.
On Saturday night, Ali and his daughter Randa accused each other of lying on Al-Qahera Al-Youm TV. Randa claimed that CSF forces arrested her father while he was with her around the palace, but Ali denied his daughters’ claims, claiming that some TV channels paid her to say what she said.
