Egypt

Suez security chiefs, police officers charged with killing 30 protesters

Attorney General Abdul Meguid Mahmoud ordered the transfer of several Suez security chiefs to a criminal court on charges of the pre-meditated murder of protesters during the revolution.

The transfers include three police officers as well as Mohammad Abdul Hadi, former head of Suez security, Mohamed Adel, head of the investigative unit in Suez, Mohammed Azab, head of the investigative unit in Arba’in, and Mohamed Saber, head of investigations for Suez security.

Investigations into the charges against the officials–namely the killing of 30 protesters in Suez during the 25 January revolution–allegedly revealed that security chiefs coordinated with businessmen, thugs, and ex-convicts to attack protesters starting 24 hours after the revolution began.

Security officers said that protesters killed a police informant, prompting them to use force. But the prosecution’s investigation revealed that the informant is still alive and photo evidence has allegedly implicated him in the murder of several protesters.

According to the investigations, on 26 January, Suez security’s investigative unit charged the young protesters arrested a day earlier with the murder of the first of three martyrs. The young protesters were also charged with arson and theft.

The prosecution found the protesters, including youth leader Araby Abul Bassit, innocent and released them.

The prosecutor's office later charged the head of security, the central security officers, and businessman Ibrahim Farag with murdering the martyrs.

The families of the dead protesters accused Farag of killing 18 out of 30 martyrs in Suez. They also accused Suez security of refusing to implement a prior decision by the prosecutor's office to arrest him and bring him in for questioning because his statements may have implicated other officers.

Dozens of Suez security officers threatened to collectively resign in protest of the transfer of their colleagues and the murder charges.

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