Two policeman who were accused of torturing a man in Egypt has been handed stiff sentences. The two were accused of torturing the man and sexually assaulting him using a broom.
The victim was shown on video taken by the same police officers who were torturing him. The man was screaming and could be seen that agony was written on his face.
Human rights groups now hope that the sentences might serve as a lesson for other police officers who have the same behaviour as those now sentenced.
The victim when interviewed by the media said that he was overjoyed to have managed to have the two men behind bars. He wants his family to put the whole affair behind tehm and move forward with their lives. He urged others who have undergone the same brutality to speak out because he believes it is possible to get justice in the courts.
After the sentencing, others who have been tortured by police in the past are beginning to come out in the open complaining of the brutality they have suffered in the hands of the police.
<President Hosni Mubarak’s government had in the past denied that police brutality was rampant in the country.
This case was easy to prosecute because the torturers had filmed their actions and the film was presented as evidence in the court.
The two jailed officers are said to be considering an appeal.
Police brutality is worldwide. Developed and under-developed countries are faced with the same problem, however, in some developed countries in the west, police brutality on racial basis is high.
Published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525. source.AljazeeraInternational/bbc
