CAIRO: A video, showing policemen brutally beating a man at a Cairo metro station, has gone viral on social media Wednesday; the incident was referred to investigations per Interior Ministry order.
In the video, uploaded by Youm7, a policeman in formal suit appeared kicking and beating a man in his face, back and abdomen while other two police personnel were holding the man tightly from his hands.
When the man was grabbed from his head and clothes all the way, a voice of a woman is heard yelling at the policemen “Enough Sir.” A huddle of passengers was watching the assault, which took place at the vast area in front of Dar el-Salam metro station.
A censor beep sound effect was repeatedly heard during the videotaped assault.
“How can this happen?” said a voice, most likely of the beaten man, while the policemen were grapping him out of the metro station.
The reason why the man was caught by the policemen was not clear in the video.
“The soldier did not solve your problem, right? I will,” the assaulting policeman said.
Voices of people outside the metro asking what the man did were heard, as well as a voice of a man saying “This bullying cannot continue.”
The video published by Youm7
Social media users who shared the video condemned police brutality and demanded involved personnel be held accountable.
One of the main demands of the January 25 Revolution in 2011 was reforming the interior ministry; however, complaints about torture, ill-treatment cases at police stations and during arrests continue.
Torture in Egyptian prisons is officially denied as a systematic practice. According to human rights lawyers, most of the lawsuits filed against officers accused in torture cases are hard to prove.
In March, Egypt approved to amend its definition of torture in Article 126 in the Penal Code to be similar to the one in the UN convention, but rejected to ratify the Optional Protocol of the convention, which allows non-governmental bodies to visit prisons.
Visiting prisons in Egypt require prior permission from the Prisons Authority, and apply only for the National Human Rights Council.