EGYPT yesterday denied allega- tions that the death of a Palestinian man at an Egyptian hospital was due to torture.“The death of Sami Abu Zuhri was due to a sharp drop in blood pressure,” said an Egyptian security source.Hamas' spokesman in the Gaza Strip Sami Abu Zuhri had alleged that Egypt had tortured his brother to death
Youssef Abu Zuhri died Monday while in Egyptian custody.In a statement sent to the media, Sami Abu Zuhri said that his 38-year-old brother 'died in one of the Egyptian hos- pitals due to severe and barbarian torture practiced by Egyptian security officers'.“Due to torture, my brother suffered severe bleeding, but security officers refused to take him to hospital. When his conditions deteriorated, on Saturday, he was taken briefly to a private hospital for first aid and then was brought back to prison,” DPA quoted Abu Zuhri as saying.He said Youssef kept suffering 'until he died in prison on Monday night with- out any announcement by the Egyptian authorities'. He added that he demanded an honest investigation into the circum- stances of his brother's death.Fawzi Barhoum, another Hamas spokesman, said in a statement sent to the media that Hamas had asked Egypt to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of Youssef Abu Zuhri.
