Three detained policemen have been referred to criminal court over reports of the death of a detained citizen from torture, said NGO Al-Haqaneya Law Center Sunday.

The three suspects, a police officer and two conscripts from a police station in the governorate of Beheira, were held in custody since 8 May for questioning.

The case is marked by conflicting accounts from the Ministry of Interior and the victim’s family reports, as well as reports from human rights groups.

According to Nady Atef, director of the Justice and Human Rights Development Centre, a Minya-based NGO, the victim was taken from his workplace, a car agency, which security forces raided on 1 May.

The police claimed the suspect was arrested in a security chase and was resisting police forces.

The victim later died, allegedly inside the police station. The police’s claims published in newspapers suggested he was suffering from low blood pressure, and that they tried to provide him medical assistance.

Following his death, a dozen local residents had gathered in front of the police station, accusing the police of torturing him to death. They were dispersed by force, and there were at least eight injuries reported.