The family of a man who police said died in a car accident say he died in custody and hold the police responsible for his death.
The National Centre for the Defence of Freedoms have sided with the family, holding Al-Warraq police department responsible for the death of the man.
Wafa’, one of the wives of Sameh Ahmed Farag who died earlier this week, said she was asked by police officials to identify her husband’s body, telling her he had died in a car accident.
Wafa’ said her husband did not own a car but had rented one to go to the wedding of one of his daughters. Farag was a merchant in his forties who owned a shop in Imbaba.
When they saw Farag’s body in a hospital there were no signs of him being in an accident and no glass on his body, Wafa’ said. Police officials gave the family no details of the accident.
She said Farag’s siblings saw bruises all over his body. He did not have on all the clothes he was wearing when he left and his hands and feet were tied.
Farag was taken to Zeinhom Morgue where an autopsy was carried out to determine the cause of death. The family is waiting for the report, which will be released in the coming days. “We all suspect that he was tortured,” she said.
An investigation into the incident has already started. Farag has already been buried but a memorial service for him is planned for Thursday evening in a mosque in Al-Mohandeseen.
Khaled Al-Masry, the Secretary General of the National Centre for the Defence of Freedoms, said the centre will get together with the family and discuss the possibility of further examination of the body.
He added that the family is considering camping outside the Prosecutor General’s office as an escalatory step.
According to the centre, he was at the police department inquiring about a detained friend.
Rumours reported in the media state that Farag was suffering from mental illness and had smashed three cars in front of the police department before assaulting police officers. Wafa’ denied these allegations.
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