CAIRO: The trial of two police officers accused in the death of activist Khaled Said in Alexandria resumed on Saturday, but anger from local rights groups sprouted up almost immediately. According to reports from local press, one defendant was present when the other officer was giving testimony, a violation of Egyptian law. “It shows that even though they helped murder a young man, the court maintains the ability to let the two officers see what is going on and get away with these crimes,” said a top legal representative in Alexandria. Heba Salim, an independent legal advisor present for Saturday's session, told Bikya Masr that the court “is doing everything in its power to ensure either a weak sentence or an acquittal. It is wrong.” Testimonies were given on Saturday by the prosecution and the defense for about 6 hours before the case was again postponed until November 27, one day before the parliamentary elections. “I don't think there is any coincidence that the case will resume right before the parliamentary elections,” said Yussif Ghanam, a family friend of the slain activist. “It is probably to make people not care, but we won't stop and we will fight to the end.” Khaled Said has become a symbol for the opposition after he was beaten to death by police outside an Internet cafe in Alexandria for posting videos showing police corruption. Said was killed in June, which led to nationwide protests of anger over the police actions. “They killed the young man in cold blood because they didn't like what he was doing,” said Omar Hassan, a 28-year-old activist in Alexandria, in reference to the anti-corruption videos Said had posted from an Internet cafe. “Why they are not being charged with the murder of a person is ridiculous,” he added. Awad Suleiman and Mahmoud Salah are not being charged with direct responsibility in the death of Said on June 6, despite witnesses and rights groups reports that police dragged Said onto the street where they beat him to death. If convicted, the officers could face up to 15-years in prison, but Khaled Abdel-Rahman, a government law clerk in Alexandria admitted that they are unlikely to receive the full penalty. And this is if they are convicted. “Right now, I don't know if they will be convicted to the letter of the law. It is more likely they will get a slap on the hand and the government will be able to say ‘we punish our wrongdoers',” Abdel-Rahman said in a telephone conversation with Bikya Masr. Police reports argue that the young man died after choking on a bag of drugs. Activists and observers tell a much different story. The initial investigation by prosecutors brought two witnesses, provided by the police, who claimed that Khaled Said swallowed a packet of drugs when he saw the policemen. One of the prosecutors ordered a medical examination which proved that Said died of asphyxiation. Further, the Ministry of Interior released a statement in which it was claimed that Said was a wanted criminal with two convictions in absentia; however, his family denied this and eyewitnesses told the media that he was murdered by police. Attorney-General Abdel Magid Mahmoud ordered the investigation to be re-opened and appointed a committee of three doctors to conduct a new forensic investigation. Their report confirmed that the cause of death was asphyxiation and the injuries on his body were a result of the beatings during arrest. “Witness accounts and the photographs of Khaled Said's mangled face constitute strong evidence that plainclothes security officers beat him in a vicious and public manner,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “All those involved should be speedily interrogated, and the prosecutor should fully investigate what caused the fractures and trauma clearly evident on his body.” Photos of Said's battered and deformed face published on the internet show a fractured skull, dislocated jaw, broken nose, and numerous other signs of trauma. Khaled's brother, Ahmed Said, confirmed the authenticity of the pictures to Human Rights Watch. Nine witnesses came forward to describe the beating. BM
