Egyptians Protest as Police Allegedly Torture Woman to Death

Egyptian human rights organizations have filed a complaint to the state prosecutor against Interior Minister Habib Al-'Adli, following the death of a 30-year-old pregnant woman as a result of an alleged police act of torture, Arab media outlets reported.

Mervat 'Abd A-Sattar was killed when the police raided her apartment in Salamout last week searching for her brother-in-law, who was wanted on suspicion of theft. The Egyptian watchdogs reported that the general prosecutor had already opened an investigation against a number of policemen, who participated in the raid.

Riots and clashes erupted in Samalout following 'Abd A-Sattar's death. Eighteen people were arrested and three policemen were wounded during an attack by hundreds of demonstrators, the Egyptian The Daily News Egypt reported.

Authorities are now waiting for the results of the forensic pathology report to decide whether to level charges against police officer Ahmad Anwar, District Attorney for North Minya Muhammad Abu A-Sa'ud said. "The use of torture is not limited only to political oppositionists or dangerous criminals, but also to the entire population. It is a common procedure in police work," secretary of the Human Rights Committee at the Journalists' Association, Muhammad 'Abd Al-Qadous, told the online news portal Al-Jazeera.Net.

Meanwhile, dozens of protesters gathered over the weekend near the office of the general prosecutor, calling for Al-'Adli's resignation.


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