Another horrendous incident happened today in Egypt. I don't know when those times of torture and violence will end. Essam Ali Atta, 23 years old, is one of the many thousands that were subjected to military courts despite being civilian. Those military courts started early on after the beginning of the revolution. Until now, justice is lost despite the outcry from different groups in Egypt.
According to his family, he was arrested last February as he was witnessing a street altercation. He was sentenced two years in Torra prison. His devastated mother told me today that she was trying to get him a phone SIM card as he wanted to have an operating phone inside the prison. Apparently this motivated his torture but circumstances are still not clear.
Here is a GRAPHIC video I took of martyr Atta in the morgue at Kasr Al Aini hospital:
His mother also said that he contacted them asking for help and he said that he was being tortured in prison by inserting a water hose into his anus and mouth. I went to the morgue in Kasr Al Aini and his face had blood from his mouth and also secretions were coming out of his nose and mouth. His family were really in a miserable condition. They were expecting that he might get out of prison soon as they were trying to annul the verdict and get a retrial.
Some people say that he must have been a criminal since he was sentenced by military courts. Needless to say that military courts lack many decent justice considerations as they lack independence, a mandate for fair trials. Also, regardless of Atta being a criminal or not, this would never mean that he deserves to be tortured and murdered. He was already doing his time. If he committed any violation, there should be a fair punishment that does not involve humiliation, torture and definitely not murder.
Finally, Khaled Said being tortured and killed at the hands of the police was one of the main drivers for the revolution. When will our leaders learn their lesson?!
