Three Egyptian police officers jailed for beating, dishonoring prisoner

Three police officers have been sentenced to jail after beating a prisoner in Alexandria and humiliating him by forcing him to wear women’s clothing in public, Reuters reported Saturday, citing judicial sources.

“The court convicted Yusri Ahmed Issa, an officer, of torture and of assaulting the prisoner’s honour, and sentenced him to five years in jail,” the article said. “Two other lower ranking policemen were sentenced to a year each.”

Reuters added: “The sources said the police officers had forced Ibrahim Abbas, who was then suspected of theft, to put on women’s clothing and walk in the streets of Alexandria on Egypt’s northern Mediterranean coast in April 2006. They also beat him with batons inside the police station, the sources said.

“International and local rights groups say torture is widespread and systematic in Egyptian jails and police stations. They say most abuse cases never make it to court, and torture convictions resulting in jail time are relatively rare.”

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