Policeman sentenced to imprisonment for beating citizen to death in El Omranya Police Station- Egypt

 EOHR welcomes the decision of the El Giza Criminal Court to sentence Lieutenant Arafa Hamza Mansour (the former head of the investigation Unit of El Omranya Police Station) to one year imprisonment with hard labor for beating to death citizen Ahmed Mahmoud Muhamed Tamam in 1999 (Case No.1919 of 2002). Lieutenant Mansour was also ordered to pay LE 2001 civil compensation to the claimants. The decision comes as a series of verdicts are being issued against Egyptian policemen accused of torture.

 Tamam was arrested in 19 July 1999 due to an alleged report of assault made against him.  During detention at El Omranya police station he was beaten and tortured. The next day, Tamam was referred to the prosecution where he was released. Despite this, he remained in detention and was again tortured.  Tamam died whilst being transferred to El Giza Security Directorate on 21 July 1999. The forensic report (No. 435/99 dated 28 September 1999) stated that the victim’s genitals had been electrocuted.

 The defendant’s trial began on 12 October 2002. EOHR monitored the case and attended the court sessions.  EOHR welcomes the verdicts of Egyptian courts against policemen accused of torture. However, the relevant law (Article 126 of the Penal Code) remains insufficient to fully protect individuals from the violence of public officials.  For example, this article only punishes torture committed in order to obtain a confession.  Due to this narrow definition of torture, the death of
 Tamam was considered a case of beatings which led to death, rather than ‘torture’ and the perpetrator obtained a lesser penalty than that contained in Article 126. 

Accordingly, EOHR calls for the broadening of the definition of torture in Article 126 of the Penal Code to conform with the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, to which Egypt is a party. Such reform would capture acts of torture (mental or physical) inflicted by public officials whether or not committed in order to obtain a confession.