R 291709Z OCT 09

FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4040

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 002064

SUBJECT: POLICE BRUTALITY UPDATE: LAWYERS ALLEGE

SEVERE TORTURE OF INTERNATIONAL CELLS

REF: A. CAIRO 1182

¶B. CAIRO 451
¶C. 08 CAIRO 2430

Classified By: Economic-Political Minister-

Counselor Donald A. Blome for reason 1.4 (d).

¶1. KEY POINTS -- (S) Credible human rights

lawyers representing members of the Hizballah
cell detained since late 2008 believe the GOE
tortured the suspects with electric shocks and
sleep deprivation to reduce them to a "zombie
state." -- (S) The lawyers believe the GOE used
the same torture on a separate group charged
with aiding Hamas. They commented that this
torture is more severe than what they normally
see. -- (C) A human rights lawyer is working to
investigate the alleged death by torture of the
Hamas spokesman's brother in an Egyptian jail
although key forensic evidence is in Gaza. --
(C) The GOE closed its investigation into the
early 2009 police torture of a Cairo woman by
burning, cutting and beating that Amnesty
International had covered.

¶2. (S) Comment: The human rights lawyers

alleging severe torture of the international
cells are from xxxxxxxxxxxx. In addition to
this new information on the international cells,
this message provides updates on police
brutality cases we last reported on in June (ref
A). Septel will provide an analysis of current
police brutality in Egypt. End comment.

¶3. (S) Hizballah Cell: xxxxxxxxxxxx The

lawyers told us in mid-October that they have
compiled accounts from several defendants of GOE
torture by electric shocks, sleep deprivation,
and stripping them naked for extended periods.
The lawyers believe the accounts to be credible,
and said the defendants show psychological signs
of torture: "They walk around like zombies, have
no sense of time and have difficulty
communicating with us." (Note: According to
press reports, the cell contains 18 Egyptians, 2
Lebanese, 5 Palestinians and one Sudanese. End
note.)

¶4. (S) Hizballah Cell (continued):

xxxxxxxxxxxx asserted that "this kind of
torture" is different from what xxxxxxxxxxxx
normally sees, and speculated that a special
branch of Interior Ministry State Security
(SSIS) could be directing the torture. The
lawyer explained that SSIS selectively uses
electric shocks against members of the Muslim
Brotherhood, but that consistent shocks and
sleep deprivation of the kind he believes the
GOE is using in this case are rare.

¶5. (S) Zeitoun Cell: xxxxxxxxxxxx lawyers are

representing 8 members of a group of 25
Egyptians and one Palestinian arrested in July
on charges of weapons smuggling to Gaza,
building drones to assist Hamas, and assisting
in the February 22 Khan Al-Khalili market
bombing (ref B), among other charges. They are
also accused of killing a Coptic jeweler in the
Zeitoun neighborhood of Cairo in May 2008 to
finance their crimes. The GOE is conducting an
investigation. The lawyers said that some cell
members complained of the same kinds of torture
alleged by those in the Hizballah cell. They
said others "were afraid to say they were
tortured." The lawyers said that these
detainees showed signs of torture similar to the
Hizballah cell, and also "are like zombies." In
July xxxxxxxxxxxx told us that one of his
clients reported torture by electric shocks and
sleep deprivation.

¶6. (C) Brother of Hamas Spokesman: On October

14, the Egyptian press carried Hamas' public
accusations that the GOE tortured Youssef Al-
Zohiry to death in Borg Al-Arab prison in
Alexandria. xxxxxxxxxxxx confirmed to us
October 18 that Al-Zohiry died in prison.
xxxxxxxxxxxx said he is trying to send an
xxxxxxxxxxxx fact-finding team to the prison to
inspect the conditions, per previous agreement
with the GOE, and the team will ask inmates and
prison employees about Al-Zohiry's CAIRO
00002064 002 OF 002 death. Zarea said that
Hamas conducted a forensic autopsy on the body
in Gaza, so it will not be possible for Egyptian
lawyers to access this key evidence to bring a
case against the GOE. In any event,
xxxxxxxxxxxx assessed that because of political
sensitivities, the GOE would never allow
Egyptian lawyers to file a case.
¶7. (C) xxxxxxxxxxxx In October 2008, police
killed this 32-year old pregnant woman in the
village of Samalut (150 miles south of Cairo)
after forcibly entering her home to arrest her
brother. In late April 2009, a court convicted
a police officer for the killing, and sentenced
him to one-year in prison (ref A). Lawyers
xxxxxxxxxxxx told us October 19 that they have
filed an appeal to the Court of Cassation
(Egypt's highest appeals court) to re-try the
case and impose a tougher sentence.

¶8. (C) Mona Thabet: Credible human rights

contacts have told us that police tortured
Thabet in early 2009 in Cairo by cutting,
burning and beating her after she filed a
complaint alleging police tortured her husband.
xxxxxxxxxxxx told us October 26 that police
closed the investigation after they determined
that forensic evidence of Thabet's injuries was
"inconclusive." xxxxxxxxxxxx has petitioned the
Public Prosecutor to re-open the investigation.

¶9. (C) Aswan Killings: In November 2008,

police in the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan shot
and killed a bystander while searching for a
drug dealer; riots ensued (ref C). According to
xxxxxxxxxxxx lawyers who are representing the
victim, the trial is ongoing.
¶10. (C) Port Said Blog Post: On August 12,
blogger Wael Abbas posted a video depicting the
alleged torture of a man in the Port Said police
station. In the video, the man is suspended by
his hands, bleeding from his torso and pleading
for the torture to stop. Abbas told us October
27 that there has been little media interest in
the case, and that, as far as he knows, no human
rights lawyers have expressed interest in
representing the victim.
Scobey

(Edited and reformatted by Andres for ease of

reading.)