Ezzat Hakim Atallah, one of the Coptic detainees in Libya accused of proselytizing, died from torture at the hands of the Libyan Preventive Security following his deportation from Benghazi to appear before the Attorney General.
Atallah was already taken to the hospital for treatment on Wednesday 6 March and brought back to detention again.
Effat Hakim Atallah, the victim’s brother, told MCN that his brother was arrested on 13 February while he was at his work in a shop for mobile phone accessories at el-Hadika market in Benghazi, Libya, and the police seized his car.
Hakim said his brother’s wife was allowed visit him three days after his arrest and found him in a state of severe fatigue with many bruises and cuts. The husband told his wife that he was subjected to physical and psychological torture, and that the forces treated him brutally to force him to confess.
Hakim added that when his wife asked about the reason for arrest and interrogation of her husband, she was told that there was no charge against him, and that he was arrested just because his telephone number was found on a telephone of another person, Sherif Ramses, the owner of a publishing house who was arrested for possession of Christian books.
Ramses confessed that he owned the books and that Ezzat Hakim had nothing to do with the issue. Despite Ramses’ confessions, Ezzat was kept in detention and was tortured without legal basis until he was deported to Tripoli on Monday, 25 February, in preparation for an appearance before the prosecution in case the Attorney General so chose.
Kamal Ramzi, Ezzat’s brother-in-law, expressed sadness for what is happening to Christians in Libya by the Libyan government and Islamic groups without interference from the Egyptian government.
Ramzi noted they sent a lawyer from Cairo to Libya last week, and he went to the Egyptian consulate to discuss the release of Ezzat and another four Copts detained by the Preventive Security apparatus, and have been tortured to force them to confess of proselytizing.
They received the news of Ezzat’s death from the lawyer today, Ramzi added, and the lawyer requested the victim’s body to be examined by the forensic team to ascertain cause of death.
Ramzi said they were trying to contact the Egyptian consulate in Libya to learn how to finish the procedures and get their rights, but they have not received any response so far.
