Egypt’s interior ministry will not be lenient with policemen amid torture reports

Egypt’s interior ministry said Sunday it will not have any leniency with “isolated incidents” from members of the police force amid reports of policemen torturing to death two citizens in Luxor and Ismailiya governorates while in custody.

On Sunday, prosecution ordered the detainment of a policeman in Ismailiya governorate for four days pending investigations into torturing to death veterinarian Afify Houssni.

On Thursday, hundreds protested in Luxor governorate over the death of a 47-year-old man whose family says was tortured to death in a local police station.

The interior ministry’s statement didn’t name any specific incident.

“Policemen are determined constantly to adhere to professional and ethical values and dedication in their national [duty] regardless of challenges and sacrifices,” the statement read

The statement added that the interior ministry and general prosecution are currently investigating all cases and that the findings would be announced transparently.

Also on Sunday, Egypt’s semi-independent National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) released a statement denouncing the death of three civilians last week in police stations from alleged torture.

The council said it is monitoring the situation and called for punishing those accountable.

Torture is forbidden by Egypt’s 2014 constitution, with Article 52 stating, “torture in all its forms is a crime without a statute of limitations.”

Human rights activists have charged that torture in police stations and some prisons remains widespread.

source:Ahram online