Two Egyptian policemen have been accused of torturing and beating to death a lawyer jailed after a pro-Islamist protest.
The victim, Karim Hamdi, "was arrested on Monday, referred to the prosecution on Tuesday and on Wednesday his lawyers found out he was dead," according to Malik Adli, a lawyer who represents protesters.
Adli said he did not know why Hamdi, a 28-year-old father of two, was arrested. His death has sparked outrage among his colleagues.
But the head of the bar association in northern Cairo, Mohammad Othman, said Hamdi was arrested for taking part in a protest of support of the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
A forensics spokesman, Hisham Abdel Hamid, told news agency AFP the victim died after suffering "blows to several parts of his body with a blunt object".
State-run MENA news agency said two National Security Police officers were arrested and remanded in custody pending an investigation into Hamdi's death.
MENA said the pair "are accused of beating and torturing a civilian, leading to his death in the Matariya police station" in northeastern Cairo.
The prosecution has also summoned seven other policemen from the same station for questioning, it said.
Interior ministry spokesman Hany Abdel Latif said Hamdi had been "implicated in a terrorist cell and arrested in the company of another person who was armed".
He also said the ministry respected the prosecution service's decisions with regard to the two policemen.
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