The Western Cairo Prosecution ordered Tuesday that the detention of police captain Karim Magdy be extended for an additional 15 days. Magdy has been charged with torturing street vendor Magdy Makeen to death last month.
The prosecution also ordered the release of six non-commissioned officers on a bail of EGP 3,000 pending investigation in relation to the case.
They are charged with beating Makeen to death, which resulted in the injuries mentioned in the forensics report. During the investigations, the officers denied the charges, according to state media.
They will be called for questioning by the prosecution on Thursday.
Makeen was allegedly tortured by about 10 police officers in the station after he was arrested on 13 November. He was arrested while driving a cart with two of his friends. His family learned of his death on 14 November and his body as transferred to Al-Zaytoun hospital. Upon his transfer, signs of physical assault and torture were found on Makeen’s body.
There have been hundreds of complaints documented by non-governmental organisations addressing torture in police custody and detention centres. The Interior Ministry usually responds to these complaints by denying that this abuse is systematic, explaining that these cases are “individual” and “do not represent the ministry as whole”.
