Cairo in 29 January 2020
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), said today that both the Minister of Interior and the General Attorney are responsible for the physical assault and attempted murder of the rights lawyer and director of ANHRI, Gamal Eid. The first being responsible for the acts and crimes perpetrated by police officers, under his command, who physically assaulted Eid, on 10 October, and 29 December 2019. The second being the head of prosecution authority of which Basateen prosecution is a branch. The later, had first suspended investigations of the first incident, regardless its severity, then conducted investigations, which we doubt its impartiality, forfeiting the victim’s rights and extending immunity to the perpetrators, regardless their heinous crimes.
The following is a summary of the incidents of physical assault and Basateen prosecution actions:
First physical assault on 10 October 2019
Despite the physical assault that resulted in broken ribs, and involved use of firearms, and though the perpetrators had identified themselves as police officers, the prosecution decided to suspend investigations. It however proceeded with them after ANHRI issued a statement.
Although the prosecution was certain that Basateen Police Department officers, Ahmed Farrag, Head Detective, and Walid Slim, Deputy Detective, have made false statements misleading justice, it didn’t hold them accountable, and it hasn’t even interrogated them in the first place. All this despite the fact that the prosecutor Walid Al-Fatih, has inspected the crime scene, watched cameras footage, and listened to eye witnesses who confirmed the incident’s facts.
Second physical assault on 29 December 2019
Both Moustafa El-Mitnawy, head of the prosecution department, and prosecutor Wlid Al-Fatih, accepted to investigate the complaint filed to their attention concerning the second physical assault of Gamal Eid, and soaking him in paint by a group of criminals led by a police officer, only after long verbal quarrel with the lawyers filing the complaint. They first tried to convince the lawyers to file the complaint to Basateen police department, despite the fact that its officers have previously made false statements, concerning the first crime.
After investigating the incident, the prosecutor decided to inspect the crime scene located 500 meters away from the prosecution offices. He asked the lawyers to go to the crime scene and wait for him there. However, he retracted his decision and refused to conduct the inspection, although many witnesses were there, and despite the fact that the lawyers informed him that his presence was necessary, so that witnesses wouldn’t be pressured or threatened.
The victim, Gamal Eid, as well as his lawyers, where surprised to find out that Basateen prosecution has delegated the inspection to Basateen police department, many days after investigation, and enough for the witnesses to be pressured and terrorized, knowing that the department officers have previously made false statements, and that the victim has accused the minister of interior of being responsible for the assault.
The prosecution has heard only one witness who wasn’t around when the incident happened, as he said that he reached his restaurant, in front of which the incident has taken place, at 1:00 p.m., while the incident happened at 11:00 a.m.
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information would like to make clear the following:
– It hoped that Basateen prosecution would fulfill its role to uphold the sovereignty of the law, and the accomplishment of justice by interrogating the suspects, starting with the Minister of Interior, and the Basateen police department officers, and conduct inspection by itself, as promised, instead of delegating it to the officers after many days have passed.
– The crimes and assaults perpetrated by police officers against Gamal Eid are subject to the Terrorism Fighting law, as they involved the use of firearms and physical assaults with the purpose of terrorizing the victim.
– Though a month has passed, the traces of paint are still visible on the face of road’s asphalt, and the false investigations reports written by Basateen police department for the first incident were repeated for the second.
– ANHRI insists on accusing the Minister of Interior of being responsible for the crimes committed by police officers under his command, as being in charge of security in Egypt, and on top of MOI’s chain of command.
– The General Attorney, who has received a copy of Gamal Eid’s complaint, should have, personally, supervised the investigation of a crime that might be of terrorist nature.
– Finally, Gamal Eid, the director of ANHRI, insists on holding both the Minister of Interior and the General Attorney responsible for any previous assault or threat to his life, as well as to any new assault that targets him, in light of the lack of justice in the investigations of previous incidents.
More information about repeated assaults against Gamal Eid, in chronological order:
