In a verdict announced Saturday, the Mataryia Criminal Court sentenced a police officer to three years in prison in connection with the death of a tuk-tuk driver in the working class district of Matariya.
The officer shot the driver – 18-year-old Mohamed Karam – when Karam drove against the flow of traffic in Matariya Square. The officer admitted to shooting Karam; however, he contended that he only fired his weapon after Karam and other drives attempted to assault him, a defence the court found to be insubstantial.
Last December, a Criminal Court in Tanta sentenced a police officer and low ranking officer at Tanta police station to life in prison for “torturing a prisoner to death”.
They were also sentenced to an additional year for injuring another prisoner by electrocution.
The verdict comes amid a growing number of reported police abuses, which have sparked outrage among activists and citizens nationwide.
