ALEXANDRIA - A criminal court in the coastal city of Alexandria Saturday deferred until next month or when security stability is back the trial of two policemen suspected of brutally beating up and illegally arresting 28-year-old blogger Khaled Saeed, triggering protests from activists and his relatives.
"The case of Khaled Saeed as well as other criminal cases will be heard as of next judicial term starting on March 26 or after security circumstances improve. This delay aims to guarantee justice," said Moussa el-Naharawi, the chief judge of the Alexandria Criminal Court.
Upon hearing the delay news, tens of demonstrators protested outside the court against the decision and accusing the Ministry of Justice of being biased towards the defendants.
"We will not leave the court. We are in a sit-in until the court hears the case," said Ali Moussa, the uncle of Saeed.
Saeed died on a street in Alexandria in last June after having been brutally, beaten up by the two detectives, according to eyewitnesses. The case caused outrage at home and abroad as rights groups accused police of beating him to death.
Witnesses say Saeed died after he was dragged out of a cafe and beaten up by the policemen in custody. The Government says he swallowed a packet of drugs and choked.
An Amnesty International statement issued recently expressed concern that witnesses in the trial could be harassed and urged the Government to ensure their safety.
