Egypt's prosecution ordered Saturday the detention of five low-ranking policemen for four days on accusations of involvment in torturing to death a detainee in Upper Egypt's Luxor, reported state news agency MENA.
Two days earlier, four officers were also detained for four days pending investigation into the same accusations.
The detention decisions came after medical examiners issued a report Thursday showing that the victim suffered fractures in the neck and back.
Talaat Shabeeb, 47, was detained at El-Awameya Police Station last week on charges of drug possession. His family was later informed that he had died and his body was brought to Luxor International Hospital.
Shabeeb's family claims that Shabeeb was in fact arrested over a personal dispute with a policeman, and not for drug possession as initially claimed.
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Luxor last week to protest Shabeeb’s death and demand that the head of the police station be fired.
Shabeeb’s case is the third in Egypt involving allegations of police abuse last week, with the latest involving an Ismailiya policeman who is accused of torturing a man to death while in police custody.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly condemned what they describe as "widespread torture" by Egyptian police.
The interior ministry says cases of police are “isolated incidents,” refuting allegations that torture in police stations is systemic, and has vowed to punish any policeman who abuses citizens.
