The Court of Appeal approved an old sentence issued from the Criminal Court to put policeman Mohamed Mahmoud in prison for two years after refusing his appeal.
Mahmoud served inside Haddaq El-Qoba police station and faces accusations of causing a state of panic by threatening citizens in what was considered an act of terrorism. He was immediately transferred to prison after approving the sentence and the refusal of his appeal.
The Court of Appeal then approved the old sentence issued from Criminal Court to put Mohamed in prison for two years. The sentence Sunday comes amid a slew of cases of alleged police torture that have caught the public’s attention.
In December 2015, four police officers and five policemen were referred to Criminal Court for killing and torturing a citizen in Luxor police station. The case dates back to Nov 2015 when Talaat Shabib, 47, was arrested for the possession of Tramadol, a drug usually used recreationally by many Egyptians.
Recently an Egyptian citizen was killed when a plainclothes policeman used his weapon against him following an argument. The Ministry of Interior has come out with repeated denials of the accusations of systematic and widespread abuse of power.
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi responded Friday to the killing of a taxi driver Thursday and stated that police violations must be confronted through legal proceedings. The power given to police officers should enable them to protect the lives, properties, and interests of citizens.
Police brutality was one of the triggers of the 25 January Revolution in 2011, sparked by protests on the National Police Day, aimed to draw attention for police excessive use of power against peaceful citizens.
