Three new cases of alleged police abuse have been reported in Fayoum and Ain Shams, adding to a growing list of allegations of human rights violations by Egyptian police and security forces.
On Sunday, an alleged drug addict died in police custody in Ain Shams. On the same day, three people were injured by a police vehicle in Fayoum, while a police officer and his assistant were recorded on video violently attacking a mobile phone shop, also in Fayoum.
The three new incidents follow the death of a veterinarian in Ain Shams police custody last week, with a police officer arrested for the murder on Sunday.
Sunday’s death in police custody in Ain Shams has been explained by police and prosecution services as an accident. They say the prisoner, who was a drug addict, did not receive his daily dose of medication.
In Fayoum, a police officer was detained after the vehicle he was driving hit three people as they stood at the side of the road. The victims were transferred to hospital, one of them with severe head injuries. Fayoum Security Director later released the police officer, saying that the incident was accidental, resulting from the driver’s attempt to avoid another vehicle that had cut in front of him.
Also in Fayoum, video from a security camera was published online, showing a police officer and his assistant violently attacking a mobile phone shop, breaking all the goods then arresting the shop owner.
Ismailia prosecution also made an arrest on Sunday in relation to the death in custody of veterinarian Ali Hosny. First Lieutenant Mohamed Ibrahim was detained following allegations that he beat Hosny to death inside Ismailia First Police Station, according to Ismailia Security director Ali Al-Azaizi.
The prosecution summoned Ibrahim for investigation following the Ministry of Interior’s decision to suspend him from work on Friday.
Hosny was allegedly beaten to death by Ibrahim after he was arrested from his wife’s privately-owned pharmacy on Thursday. Hosny’s wife, the Pharmacists’ Syndicate and the Veterinarians Syndicate all accused the police officer of killing Hosny.
In response to alleged police allegations this week, one policeman released a video on his Facebook account defending policemen and claiming that torture incidents are “individual cases” that does not represent Egyptian police as whole.
