Human Rights Watch urges Egypt investigate officers in death of man allegedly beaten by police

HRW doubts Egypt police report in death case

CAIRO — An international human rights group has cast doubts over an Egyptian report on the death of an alleged victim of police brutality and is urging a further investigation of the incident.

Human Rights Watch says numerous witnesses saw plainclothes officers beat a 28-year-old Alexandria businessmen, Khaled Said, who died after the June 6 encounter.

Said’s family and opposition groups say he was beaten to death by police. The case became a rallying point for government critics who denounced it as an example of rampant police abuses.

Egypt’s prosecutor general said on Wednesday that a second autopsy confirmed police claims the man choked to death while trying to swallow a packet of drugs.

Thursday’s HRW statement says the initial investigation did not interview the policemen involved.