Egypt's district of Alexandria Attorney Yasir Rafai has ordered that two Egyptian policemen from the Sidi Gabr Police Department, be detained for investigation
Rafai ordered that into allegations that two Egypt's policemen, Mahmoud Salah Mahmoud and Awad Ismail Suliman, had used excessive force against Alexandria's young man Khaled Saeed, who witnesses said that he was killed by police torture two weeks ago.
Eyewitnesses said that police dragged Saeed from an Alexandria internet café and beat him to death in front of onlookers.
Egypt's police maintain that the victim died after choking on a package of marijuana that he had been attempting to conceal during his arrest.
The Egyptian government forensic expert Dr. Ahmad el-Sabai shocked observers at a hearing held to review evidence when he stated that the package of marijuana may have become lodged in the victim's throat as a result of blows inflicted by police.
A heated dispute then developed between el-Sabai--who performed the second autopsy on Saeed's body--and defense lawyers representing the policemen. "It's difficult to imagine such a scenario!," one defense lawyer shouted.
On its part, Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned ambassadors from the European Union on Wednesday to inform them of the ministry's rejection of outside interference in the case.
EU states issued Monday a statement registering their "concern regarding the circumstances of Saeed's death" and questioning the impartiality of the government's investigation.
