A man has claimed he was tortured in Sheikh Zayed police station, the latest in a string of allegations against police. Abdel Hamid Mohamed also claimed to have been falsely accused of escaping from custody.
Mohamed claimed he was returning home to 6th of October City last week using public transport when he was asked to show identification at a checkpoint.
Declining to be frisked, he then argued with police. Mohamed was then arrested and taken to Shiekh Zayed police station, where he claimed to have been severely beaten and then falsely accused of escaping custody.
When his brother went to the station to pay Mohamed’s bail, he was told Mohamed had escaped.
“I was told I cannot leave the station until Abdel Hamid is found,” Mohamed’s brother said. “Meanwhile, my mother was called by a guy who told her Abdel Hamid was found injured on land near the police station.”
He added: “We filed a suit against the police station to Giza Security Directorate after we transferred Abdel Hamid to the hospital. He has fractures in one of his hands, his leg, and in several parts of his body.”
Human rights lawyer Ragia Omran said police wanted to arrest Mohamed on Saturday at Ahmed Helmy hospital, but that his family stopped them because they did have a warrant.
According to his brother, Mohamed was sentenced in absentia for drug trafficking last year but was appealing the conviction. His brother did not believe this was connected to Mohamed’s recent arrest.
An online video uploaded by the Nation Without Torture campaign showed the testimony of Mohamed, his brother and his mother.
The Ministry of Interior was not available to comment.
