Hamada Saber, the protester shown on Egyptian television being beaten and dragged on the ground naked by Central Security Forces (CSF) on Friday, has now accused police of beating and stripping him naked.
He had initially accused protesters of stripping and beating him, but changed his statement on Sunday, state-run news agency MENA reported, accusing the police after the prosecution confronted him with the video that captured the incident.
He denied that the police tried to scare or silence him, and admitted that he only accused protesters of beating him in order to “contain the incident”.
A Ministry of Interior spokesperson admitted there was some wrongdoing on the police’s part, but denied that they had stripped Saber naked.
Following Saber’s new revelations, the prosecution ordered him to be moved from the police hospital to another governmental hospital. On Monday, Saber went home after going to Al-Matareya Teaching Hospital. The hospital refused to take him in, claiming his condition was normal and that he did not need to be admitted, state run Al-Ahram reported.
The revelation comes one day after Saber’s controversial interview was shown on state-run television, during which he claimed the police were helping him, not harming him.
He said he was hit in the leg “from the direction of the protesters”. He fell down and could not get up, after which the protesters took his clothes and money, and only left him alone when they realised he was not a police officer.
However, the assault on Saber by police was captured on a now infamous video showing him naked, and being beaten and dragged across the ground by police near the presidential palace on Friday night.
Saber’s daughter Randa argued with her father over his story on live television on the Al-Qahera Al-Youm channel, Saturday night, imploring him to tell the truth: “Who was beating you,’ she asked, “the government [police] or the people?”
“Father, everyone is saying do not be scared,” she later said. “Are they pressuring you?”
Saber’s nephew Reda also believes Saber was pressured. “He is lying,” he said, referring to Saber’s initial statement.
The prosecution has now summoned Saber’s wife, Randa, and Reda. They are expected to give their statements on Monday.
The National Council for Human Rights has formed a fact-finding mission to investigate the incidents that took place outside the presidential palace. The council added that it will not stand idle before human rights violations and condemned all incidents where an Egyptian citizen was humiliated.
The presidency has also condemned the incident.
