Egypt state newspaper takes up issue of protester’s death

Cairo: In an unusually critical column, the chairman of Egypt’s state-run daily Al Ahram newspaper has specifically called out the country’s president as being responsible for protecting the public after the shooting death of a protester.

The front-page piece by Ahmad Syed Al Najjar, published on Monday, focused on the killing of Shaima Al Sabbagh, shot dead on Saturday on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the overthrow of autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Witness testimony and online video strongly suggest police shot the woman dead. Authorities say they are investigating.

The editorial blamed overzealous police, empowered by wide-ranging laws criminalising protests, for killing the protester. It also said finding justice after Shaima’s death primarily “rests on the shoulders” of President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi, a rare, direct criticism of a man largely lionised in Egyptian media.