Egypt sentences 6 inmates for beating jailed Frenchman to death

An Egyptian court on Sunday handed
down seven-year prison sentences to
six men convicted of beating to death
jailed Frenchman Eric Lang in 2013.
The 49-year-old, who taught French in
Cairo, died after a beating in a cell on
September 13, having been detained in
a police station because he did not have
a valid visa.
According to the prosecution’s case, six
inmates in his cell had beaten him to
death. They were convicted on Sunday
of “assault leading to death”.
A defendants’ lawyer had called into
question the prosecution’s case, arguing
the autopsy showed he had been beaten
for more than six hours with a rod and
electric cables, suggesting police
involvement.
Lang’s mother and sister had also cast
doubts on the official account, and filed
complaints against police officials over
the failure to rescue him.
He had been detained during a tense
time in Cairo, when police and the
military had been out in force to quash
protests by Islamist supporters of
deposed president Mohamed Morsi.
The verdict on Sunday comes as Egypt
fends off accusations of police
involvement in the death of Italian
student Giulio Regeni, whose badly
mutilated body as found after he
disappeared in Cairo in January.
Egypt has denied police were involved
in Regeni’s death.