The Criminal Court in western Tanta sentenced a police officer and lower ranking officer at Tanta police station to life in prison for “torturing a prisoner to death”.They were also sentences to an additional year for injuring another prisoner by electrocution. According to Egyptian law, a life sentence amounts to 25 years in prison, putting their total sentence at 26 years.
The court accused Ahmed El-Safrawy and Ahmed Saleh of torturing citizens Ismail Abd El-Hamid and Yasser El-Malah at the Tanta police station. The court issued the verdict in absentia.
Head of the Independent Judiciary Council Nasser Amin told Daily News Egypt the ruling is the first of its kinds, and represents a major contribution to upholding human rights.
“It is a good step towards maintaining human rights in Egypt in general,” he said, adding that the ruling will make any authoritative figure fear punishment, which will contribute to ending crimes that violate human rights.
