El Nadeem Center against Violence and Torture

Deputy of Investigative Services in the Fayoum Police Centre is charged with the murder of Goma’a Al Dahshoury

A year after the death of Mohamed Goma’a Al Dahshoury, after being tortured in Fayoum Police Centre the first hearing in the trail of Police Officer Mo’ataz Abd El Mangy Abd El Monein will start on 9 September 2008.

The incident dates back to 17 August 2007 when a number of police officers arrested the victim and took him to the Police centre after an altercation.

In the Police Centre, according to witnesses, he was assaulted and beaten up until he lost consciousness, he was subsequently carried out by two men and left on the pavement outside the Police Centre. His brother found him on the pavement at around 1:00 AM on 18 August 2007. He was taken home but did not get any better so he was moved to the hospital but the hospital refused to admit him. He was only allowed to enter the hospital after his family agreed to say that he was injured during a fight and that they do not know who he was fighting with and they made an official statement saying so and got the victim to sign it.

He was released from the hospital on 22 August 2007 and he continued getting treated privately but his situation got worse. He went to a doctor who told him that he must go to Mecca Specialist hospital because he has internal bleeding and a concussion. On the 2nd of September 2007 he was admitted to the hospital and it became clear that, in addition to the aforementioned injuries, he had abdominal rigidity.

He passed away on Wednesday 19 September 2007.

Another official report was made by the police (number 22210/2007), which states that the victim sustained these injuries because of a fall down the stairs.

Witnesses say that the deceased identified two police officers; Mo’ataz and Osama of Fayoum Police Station as the men who assaulted him.

An official complaint was made to the prosecutor’s office. The Director of the Public Hospital gave evidence and an autopsy was performed at 10 AM on 25 September 2007 and the prosecution examined the body and documented the injuries before the autopsy. The investigation continued for a whole year during which the family refused to bury the deceased until after the forensic doctor’s report has been presented. The body is yet to be buried.

The case was referred to the Fayoum Criminal Court on 9 September 2008.

El Nadeem Centre invites Human Rights organisations to be in the court room for the trial on 9 September 2008 to support the family of Goma’a Al Dahshoury.

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