Last week witnessed a new death inside a police station in Egypt’s Dakahlia governorate, where the family of Ayman Sabry accused the police of being directly responsible for his death as a result of torture while in custody at Belqas Police Station. The incident sparked public outrage among citizens and led to a mass protest in the streets of Belqas, which was met with police force using live ammunition to disperse demonstrators.
According to the timeline of events, Ayman Sabry was arrested and held at Belqas Police Station, and brought before the prosecution on July 21 on charges of drug trafficking and possession of weapons. On July 26, his family was informed of his death. Upon viewing his body, they reported visible signs of torture, including bruises and wounds on his head. The incident triggered a wave of public protest in front of the Belqas courthouse and confrontations with police, which resulted in the use of live ammunition to disperse the crowd. The Ministry of Interior quickly denied any wrongdoing, attributing the death to a “sudden health crisis.”
The family also reported that Ayman had told them about various violations he faced during his detention, including not being promptly brought before the prosecution and the family not being informed of his whereabouts for several days, prompting them to send telegrams to the Public Prosecutor requesting information about his location. He also disclosed that he had been beaten during the early days of his detention. The family later stated that they had been pressured to expedite the burial of his body.
This incident is not isolated. Similar cases of deaths attributed to police officers and personnel in connection with criminal cases involving ordinary citizens have been recurring. The Ministry of Interior’s standard response is to deny any criminal suspicion or official responsibility, without initiating independent investigations or further inquiry. Deaths are often blamed on vague, natural causes, and the deceased are portrayed as having criminal backgrounds, in an implicit justification for any potential inhumane or harsh treatment, or in dismissing the need for further accountability.
Notably, in June, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) filed a complaint to the Public Prosecutor regarding the deaths of seven detainees in Al-Omrania Police Station in Giza governorate over the past 2 years. The deaths occurred under circumstances described in the complaint as reflecting serious negligence or possibly systematic violations of detainees’ rights. The reported cases included deaths caused by medical neglect and unlawful detention, despite court rulings mandating the transfer of some detainees to correctional or rehabilitation centers.
Additionally, the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) documented approximately 50 deaths in detention facilities during the past year, including 25 deaths in police stations alone.
The Egyptian Front calls for independent investigations into all these repeated incidents to determine the true causes of death and to examine allegations of torture and ill-treatment preceding these deaths. EFHR also urges a thorough review of internal monitoring and oversight mechanisms within police detention centers, and a comprehensive assessment of detention conditions to prevent further deaths.