A new crime by the Egyptian Ministry of Interior in Kafr el Dawwar

Upon an appeal by Ms. Mona Sobhi a delegation from Hisham Mubarak Law Center and El Nadim Center went to Kafr el Dawwar to visit the family of Sobhi Mohamed Sobhi Hussein and listen to the statements and testimonies of victims to a brutal police attack on a number of family members. The delegation then went to the police station and was able to meet with the victims.

Hadj Sobhi Mohamed Hussein, 67 years old, suffered several cigarette burn marks on his chest and abdomen. He told us of other similar marks on his thighs.

Ahmed Sobhi Mohamed Hussein, 36 years old, suffers hemorrhage in the left eye with consequent no perception of light. Bruises and abrasions were observed on his face and arms and various parts of his body.

Mohamed Sobhi Hussein, 38 years old, fracture of right wrist bones.

Where and when and how did that happen? The following are the details:

We would like to note that the Sobhi family is a well to do family and are one of the main fish dealers in Kafr El Dawwar. The family owns an apartment building where the father, his two sons and his nephew live together.

Scene 1

Tuesday, 22/4/2008 at 2 a.m… a police intelligence force from Kafr El Dawwar police station break into the Mohamed’s apartment. Mohamed and his father are away in Marsa Matrouh. Officer Tamer el Gizawi enters the flat accompanied by six informers. Mohamed’s daughter opens the door, sees them and is terrified by the destruction and the noise. Her mother wakes up to find them in her bed room looking for somebody by the name of Mohamed Faruq!!. They searched the house, causing much destruction.. they didn’t spare a corner in the flat.. The mother asks for a search warrant and for the reason they are in her apartment.. she receives no answer.. after their departure she calls her husband and son and tells them what happened.. Sobhi goes to the post office, and sends telegrams to different authorities.. then he returns to Kafr El Dawwar.

Scene 2

Same day, 10 a.m.. the police returns with a bigger force.. they surround the house.. five armed officers and 14 informers go into the flat, find Ahmed Sobhi, beat him up with iron and wooden bars, strip him naked and drag him as such all the way to the police station, which is about 400 meters away. Throughout he is beaten, witnessed by his father, mother, wife, children and neighbors. Some of the informers stay behind, push the father in a corner of his flat and burn his body with cigarettes.. at the entrance of the building an officer fires seven bullets and orders his colleagues to collect the empty cassettes.. to his misfortune they miss two.. the family collects them and takes them to the prosecution.

Scene 3

Mohamed and his father, Sobhi, go to the Kafr El Dawwar prosecution to file a complaint.. (There are suspicions that a communication of sorts has taken place between the police station and the prosecution informing the former that a complaint is about to be filed).. Officer Ahmed Maklad comes to the prosecutor’s office, grabs the complaint signed in red ink by the prosecution, throws it away and arrests Mohamed from the prosecutor’s office before he finishes his statement.. and takes him to the police station.

Scene 4

The father is lost between the prosecution and the hospital trying to get a medical report.. the prosecution returns him to the hospital asking for another report for the same injuries.. he is to be summoned to the evening prosecution.

Scene 5

The police station phones the father and asks him to come over for reconciliation and release of his two sons, Mohamed and Ahmed.. the father goes but does not come back.. he is being held with his sons at the station.

In the meantime the police continues to surround the building preventing anybody from leaving.. the family tries to supply Sobhi with his medication (hypertensive and history of myocardial infarction).. the police station refuses at first, then accepts, takes the medication, gives Sobhi one dose and then withholds medication again.

Notes:

– The delegation inspected and photographed Mohamed’s apartment as well as examined Ahmed’s clothes and documented the tears and the stains of dried blood, in addition to the injuries on Ahmed’s body. The complaint, previously thrown away by the officer, was retrieved by a neighbor.

– The victims were not examined by forensic medicine except after four days of the incident, despite their visibility. Until the release of this statement, the prosecution did not inspect Ahmed’s flat, nor did it inspect the police station despite allegations and complaints of torture and maltreatment. The situation questions the impartiality of the prosecution.

– Also, until the time of release of this statement, Ahmed has not been referred to an eye hospital for examination or management of the bleeding.

– The police pressured the hospital administration to change medical reports. The hospital was reluctant to complete the examination and document the visible injuries (Copy of hospital report available).

Names of police force according to witnesses:

– Officer Mohamed Abu Keila, chief of criminal intelligence at Kafr El Dawwar and Rashid

– Officer Gamal Haggag, vice chief of criminal intelligence at Kafr El Dawwar and Rashid

– Officer Ahmed Maklad, chief intelligence officer at Kafr El Dawwar police station.

– Officer Tamer El Gizawi, intelligence officer at Kafr El Dawwar police station.

This is an appeal from Kafr el Dawwar to all people of conscience to send letters of protest to each of the following:

Egyptian Minister of Interior, Fax: + 202 2796 0682

Egyptian Public Prosecutor, Fax: + 202 2575 7165

Egyptian Minister of Justice, Fax: + 202 2795 8103

Egyptian Minister of Health, Fax: + 202 2795 3966

Chair of Egyptian Doctor’s Syndicate, Fax: + 202 2795 8149