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Egypt police jailed for torture | Egypt police jailed for torture |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Two Egyptian policemen have been jailed for three years each for torturing a bus driver during police custody. | Two Egyptian policemen have been jailed for three years each for torturing a bus driver during police custody. |
The police officers filmed the sexual assault of Emad al-Kebir, 22, on a mobile phone. The footage eventually emerged on the internet. | The police officers filmed the sexual assault of Emad al-Kebir, 22, on a mobile phone. The footage eventually emerged on the internet. |
The case is one of several notorious incidents of abuse by the security forces to be uncovered in Egypt, mostly driven by activist bloggers. | The case is one of several notorious incidents of abuse by the security forces to be uncovered in Egypt, mostly driven by activist bloggers. |
Mr Kebir, who was in court to hear the verdicts, welcomed the ruling. | Mr Kebir, who was in court to hear the verdicts, welcomed the ruling. |
"God is great! Thank God!" he said. "I regained my rights. I don't want anything more than that." | "God is great! Thank God!" he said. "I regained my rights. I don't want anything more than that." |
The police officers, Capt Islam Nabih and non-commissioned officer Reda Fathi, sexually assaulted Mr Kebir with a stick and hit him with shoes, a whip and a gun, the court heard. | The police officers, Capt Islam Nabih and non-commissioned officer Reda Fathi, sexually assaulted Mr Kebir with a stick and hit him with shoes, a whip and a gun, the court heard. |
Court officials said both men will appeal against the verdict. | Court officials said both men will appeal against the verdict. |
Nation shocked | |
In January 2006, Mr Kebir was detained for attempting to stop an argument between his cousin and a policeman and suffered the assault. | In January 2006, Mr Kebir was detained for attempting to stop an argument between his cousin and a policeman and suffered the assault. |
The graphic footage appeared on the web in November 2006 | |
He was released without charge, but later arrested and jailed for three months after a judge found him guilty of resisting arrest. | He was released without charge, but later arrested and jailed for three months after a judge found him guilty of resisting arrest. |
This followed his attempts to complain to the authorities about his treatment. | This followed his attempts to complain to the authorities about his treatment. |
In November 2006, several Egyptian bloggers posted a video of his assault and it also appeared on the video-sharing site YouTube. | |
The video, in which Mr Kebir is shown screaming on the floor while being abused with a stick, shocked the country, reports the BBC's Heba Saleh in Cairo. | |
Mr Kebir's release had already been ordered by a prosecutor when the assault took place. | |
The policemen, who filmed the ordeal themselves, circulated the footage in an attempt to intimidate others, our correspondent reports. | |
Torture 'endemic' | |
Human rights groups say the court decision to jail the policemen is a message to victims of torture, telling them they should break their silence and seek justice. | |
They agree with lawyers who assert that torture is endemic in Egypt because suspects are held incommunicado for long periods of time and police interrogations take place without counsel. | |
The Egyptian authorities reject this and have cited the arrest and trial of Mr Kebir's torturers as proof that they do not tolerate abuse. | The Egyptian authorities reject this and have cited the arrest and trial of Mr Kebir's torturers as proof that they do not tolerate abuse. |
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