Cairo: Egypt's Chief Prosecutor Abdul Mageed Mahmoud on Sunday ordered an investigation into the death of a young Egyptian man whose family and activists blame on police.
Khalid Saeed, a 28-year-old man, was purportedly killed by two policemen after a heated argument inside an internet café in the coastal city of Alexandria, according to local witnesses.
"Two detectives came into the café and bashed his head to the wall after he refused to go with them," said Hassan Mosbah, the owner of the café. He added that they had dragged Khalid to the street where they "continued to beat him". "I have no idea why they beat him," Mosbah added.
Khalid's family claimed that he had been killed by police for posting a clip on the internet showing policemen involved in drug deals. The Ministry of the Interior said in a statement on Saturday that Khalid was an ex-convict and that he died of asphyxia after chocking on a joint of narcotics when the two policemen attempted to arrest him.
Scores of Egyptian activists on Monday gathered outside Khaled's house in Alexandria to pay tribute to him and condemn alleged police brutality.
"What happened is beastial behaviour from police," said Ahmad Ezzat, an activist at the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights, a non-governmental organisation. "His killers should be brought to justice and the Emergency Law, which gives police sweeping powers, must be cancelled," added Ezzat, a lawyer by professional.
Egyptian government says that the Emergency Law, which has been in force since 1981, is applied only to combat terrorism and drug-related crimes.
Amnesty International and other rights groups have asked Egyptian authorities to open an independent investigation, after the two detectives accused of beating Khalid were released.
