Press release
Cairo: 13/10/2003

EOHR calls for the Immediate Investigation of the Death of a Citizen Due to Torture

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) expresses its deep concern regarding the information which it had received about the death of  Mahmoud Gabr Mohammed – a worker, resident at the district of  El Sayeda Zeinab. The said citizen was arrested by the police and was detained inside the police station of Al Sayeda Zeinab.

The fact-finding mission sent by EOHR to the domicile of the victim found out that he was arrested by a force of the investigations of the police station of Al Sayeda Zeinab. He was arrested on October 4, 2003 while he was in a café and without any definite reason.

The family of the said citizen was informed of his death on October 7, 2003. they received the corpse and the burial ceremonies were performed on the same day. The health officer confirmed that there are numerous injuries and bruises in the corpse and emphasized in his report on the case that the death of the victim has a criminal aspect about it. One of the relatives of the victim confirmed to the delegate of EOHR that in the corpse there were bruises under the knee, bleeding from the mouth and some injuries all over the whole corpse.

 EOHR calls for the immediate investigation of these information. It also calls for carrying out forensic examinations to define the causes of the death of the victim. In case it is proven that death is due to torture, the officers responsible for this crime shloud be interrogated.

It is noteworthy that in its latest report on torture inside police stations, EOHR called for investigating 22 cases of torture of which are 5 cases of death inside police stations. No final decision was made as regards such cases despite the fact that some of them took place in 2002.

        In this regard, EOHR re-emphasizes its continual appeal to re-consider the penalties of the crime of torture so as to bring such practices to an end. All state agencies, particularly the Ministry of Interior, should take all necessary measures to end the crime of torture.