Trial of two policemen accused of murder begins in Egypt

Alexandria: Two Egyptian policemen, charged with brutality in the death of a young man, have gone on trial, in a case that has sparked calls to end, what activists describe as, rampant police abuses in the country.

Khaled Syed died on June 6. Witnesses said the two policemen dragged him out of an internet cafe and beat him to death. However two state autopsies have insisted Syed died of suffocation after swallowing a packet of drugs.

Dozens of human rights activists were protesting and waving pictures of Syed, outside the court in the city of Alexandria, as the trial began, which lead to hundreds of riot policemen being called in and the court being cordoned off.

Amnesty International, on Monday, expressed concern that witnesses in the trial could be harassed. It has urged the government to ensure their safety.