WASHINGTON - June 14 - Pro-democracy protesters in Egypt were beaten at a protest Sunday following the death last week of Khaled Said. Family, supporters, witnesses and rights groups say that Said was killed by Egyptian government forces last week outside an internet cafe.

AP is reporting in a piece titled "Egyptians beaten while protesting police brutality" that "the Egyptian government claims [Khaled Said] choked to death on a joint as police were trying to arrest him."

"Amnesty International and other rights groups on Friday demanded an independent investigation.

"The 'shocking pictures ... are a rare, firsthand glimpse of the routine use of brutal force by the Egyptian security forces, who expect to operate in a climate of impunity, with no questions asked,' Amnesty said in a statement.

"The victim's brother, Ahmed Said, maintained that the beating was revenge for his possession of a video showing the policemen dividing the spoils of a drug bust among themselves and so they confronted him at the cafe. He said he saw his brother's body a day after his death. His jaw was twisted, his rib cage mangled and his skull cracked, he said. Similar images were posted on bloggers' websites and he confirmed their authenticity."

To see how Egyptian government forces contain, intimidate and hide protests from view of other Egyptians click here.


MOSTAFA HUSSEIN
Hussein is a doctor at Nadeem Center for Victims of Torture.


PHILIP RIZK

An independent blogger and filmmaker based in Cairo, Rizk is posting video of the protests and other critical information. See: "Violent Crackdown at Ministry of Interior Protest."


Background: see AP piece "Egypt cafe owner describes police beating death"

See #khaledSaid on Twitter