Egypt court revokes sentence for policeman convicted of El-Sabbagh’s murder

Egypt’s Court of Cassation revoked on Sunday a 15-year jail sentence issued to a police officer for the fatal shooting of protester Shaimaa El-Sabbagh during a peaceful march last year in downtown Cairo ahead of the fourth anniversary of the January 25 uprising.

After the Court of Cassation accepted his first appeal, the court ordered the retrial of the Central Security Forces (CSF) officer Yaseen Mohamed Hatem in front of a different district court.

If convicted for a second time, the officer has the right to appeal once more.

The policeman’s lawyer, Fareed El-Deeb said that the march where El-Sabbagh was killed was surrounded by “exceptional circumstances” due to the timing of the anniversary, adding that if his client had an intention to commit murder, tens of casualties would have taken place.

El-Deeb added to his defense that the march organised by Egypt’s Socialist Popular Alliance Party (SPAP) was not given a permit by the interior ministry, clarifying that the demonstrators created a state of confusion for the forces.

The lawyer pushed to prove the absence of criminal intent and murder for his defendant by adding that the killing of 32-year-old El-Sabbagh came from the “indiscretion” and “inexperience” of the 25-year-old police officer due to his young age.

In June 2015, a Cairo court sentenced the CSF police officer to 15 years in jail after being convicted for “beating that led to the death” of El-Sabbagh — a lesser charge than murder, as well as “deliberately wounding” other protesters.

El-Sabbagh was killed after being hit with birdshot fired by the CSF police officer.

Egypt’s CSF tend to disperse protests using birdshot and teargas.

The former court verdict against the CSF officer was deemed the first and toughest such sentence against a policeman for killing protesters since the 2011 uprising.

source: Ahram Online