- ALEXANDRIA, Egypt: Two Egyptian policemen charged with brutality in the death of a young Alexandria man have gone on trial in a case that sparked calls to end what activists describe as rampant police abuses in the country.
Khaled Said died on June 6. Witnesses said the two policemen dragged him out of an Internet cafe and beat him to death. But two state autopsies insisted Said died of suffocation after swallowing a packet of drugs.
Hundreds of riot policemen cordoned off the court in the city of Alexandria as the trial started. Dozens of human rights activists are protesting outside and waving pictures of Said.
Amnesty International on Monday expressed concern that witnesses in the trial could be harassed and urged the government to ensure their safety.