Egypt: Police Kill Youth in Torture Session
Tamer Mohamed Al-Baz'amara, 20, was arrested in August 2009 and sentenced by a military court to two years imprisonment and hard labor for evading his military service.
He was servicing his prison sentence at Al-Qanatar prison in November 2009 when he was transferred to Mansoura prison at the request of his loved ones in order to facilitate family visits. On 3 February 2010, the Mansoura University Hospital staff called his family to inform them that their son was in hospital.
When his family visited the hospital, Tamer told them that three police officers beat him on the head after he asked them if he could see a doctor because he was sick. "Come here! Let us examine you," they said, as they tortured him for an entire day, beating him and electrocuting him to the point of exhaustion.
"The outlook is grim," his Hanan said "the doctor told me that he was paralyzed and that he couldn't move."
Tamer Mohamed Al-Baz'amara was pronounced dead on 3 February 2010.
What happened to Tamer is not an isolated case, while many such cases have been documented in urgent preleases on Alkarama's website. A clear lack of accountability and a growing sense of impunity by the Egyptian authorities have only caused an increase in cases of death by tortured.
Articles 126, 129 and 282 of Egyptian Law, stipulate that it is illegal for police officers and security officials to torture citizens. Such an offense is considered a felony, particularly when an accused is forced into giving false confessions. Physical abused during an arrest is also considered a felony and is punishable by arrest of the perpetrating officer.