Egyptian lawyer interrogated for drafting anti-torture law

Negad El Borai might face jail time for drafting a law that counters police abuse and torture, which shows the restriction of freedoms in Egypt.

Marwa Al-A’sar
Marwa Al-A’sar
People walk in front of a graffiti of activist Khaled Said on the wall near Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo on the third anniversary of Said's death, June 6, 2013. Said, 28, was beaten to death by police in Alexandria in June 2010 with his body barely recognisable after he posted a video showing police officers sharing the spoils of a drugs bust, according to his family. The act of brutality galvanised further protests, in particular, the anti-torture Facebook page "We are Khaled Said". The page helped crys
People walk in front of a graffiti of activist Khaled Said near Tahrir Square on the third anniversary of Said's death, June 6, 2013. Said, 28, was beaten to death by police in Alexandria in June 2010 after he posted a video showing police officers sharing the spoils of a drugs bust, according to his family. — REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

CAIRO — In Egypt, attempting to counter police abuse and torture could lead to being interrogated and jailed — no matter what a person's status is.

Prominent lawyer Negad El Borai has recently been questioned three times, the last time on June 1, by an investigative judge after he worked on drafting a law that counters police abuse and torture in prisons, detention centers and police stations.

Judges Hisham Raouf and Assem Abdel-Gabbar have also been interrogated for supervising the drafting of the law. The interrogation followed a complaint from the Supreme Judicial Council against the two judges, accusing them of cooperating with Borai to draft the law.

Borai is a well-known human rights advocate, leading the legal unit at the United Group for Law. He is also a columnist for the independent Al-Shorouk newspaper.

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