A Cairo criminal court referred to investigation on Tuesday accusations made by leading Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed El-Beltagy that he was tortured by leading interior ministry officials.
During a Tuesday court session where El-Beltagy is standing trial, the former Muslim Brotherhood MP alleged that he was repeatedly tortured by police general Hassan El-Sohagy, the interior minister's aide for the Prisons Authority, and police general Mohamed Ali, the head of criminal investigation at the prison where he was held.
El-Beltagy described to the court the torture in detail, which he says was aimed at having him drop his official complaint against President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi for the killing of his 17-year-old daughter Asmaa during the forcible dispersal of the 2013 Rabaa sit-in.
According to Egypt's National Council for Human Rights, at least 624 people were killed when security forces dispersed the sit-in, which was held to protest the removal of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi from office earlier that year.
President El-Sisi was minister of defense at the time of the dispersal, which took place under interim president Adly Mansour.
El-Beltagy also alleged ill-treatment at the maximum security Aqrab Prison, where he is being held along with other Brotherhood members.
El-Beltagy and 738 other defendants, including MB supreme guide Mohamed Badie, are currently standing trial for incitement of armed protest, blocks roads and murder.
The trial has been adjourned to 6 September.
El-Beltagy is currently being tried in a number of criminal cases. He has so far received a sentence of life in prison as well as a death sentence, both of which are subject to appeal.
