The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) released a statement on Monday announcing that they have officially requested protection for the family of Al-Sayed Al-Adel and other eye-witnesses to the Meit Ghamr crime, which took place three weeks ago.
The complaint was filed against Meit Ghamr investigations Chief Fekri Sho’eib on Wednesday, accusing him of “exercising pressure on the family of Al-Adel as well as witnesses to the crimes committed against him for almost two weeks,” according to Reda Marei’, one of the EIPR lawyers working on the case.
Al-Adel’s family accused Karim Al-Bor’ei, a police officer at Meit Ghamr station, of shooting Al-Adel dead after participating in protests against the torture of one of his neighbours. Random shots were fired by the police, leading to his death.
According to EIPR, Sho’eib had put pressure on Al-Adel’s family twice. The first time was during the prosecution’s investigation of the crime; when Sho’eib summoned a Meit Ghamr resident, Saa’d, and asked him deliver a message to Al-Adel’s mother, Fatma Abdel Rahman, offering her an apartment in the governorate’s residences in return for dropping the charges. Sho’eib threatened to falsely charge Saa’d with sabotage and burning the police station should Saa’d not comply.
“Abdel Rahman refused the offer and scolded Saa’d,” Mar’ei said.
A week later, Sho’eib made the same offer to Al-Adel’s brother, Karim, after telling him that they will gain nothing out of the report.
“Tell your mother to clear this issue; the officers will not be tried,” Mar’ei quoted Sho’eib as saying.
Al-Adel’s family could not be reached for comment.
The police raided a number of oriental cafes over three weeks ago, beating their clients and arresting some, including Saa’d. The residents then rallied in front of the Meit Ghamr police station, denouncing the raid. Clashes erupted between the families and the officers, resulting in the killing of Atef Al-Mansy, who was tortured to death inside the police station, Al-Adel, and the serious injury of Ramy Mohamed, who was shot in the throat.
The EIPR criticised the Ministry of Interior for saying the Meit Ghamr police department had arrested seven convicts with criminal records, and their families and associates attacked the department in an attempt to free them.
It was Sho’eib who filed a report falsely claiming the aforementioned, according to Mar’ei.
Investigation into the case had started over two weeks ago, yet it has been suspended since a new prosecution chief was appointed.
