AL DABAYA, Egypt — Prosecutors in Upper Egypt have dropped all charges against a Muslim who, according to numerous eyewitnesses, gunned down a Christian with the aim of intimidating his family into withdrawing charges in another religiously motivated killing.
Prosecuting attorneys June 24 found that the accused in the January shooting, Hasan Baghdadi, was incompetent to stand trial by reason of insanity and closed the case before it could be presented to a judge, according to human rights activists. The investigation into Baghdadi’s brother, Mohammed, who also was allegedly involved in the incident, was dropped.
Shaheed Nesemis Saroufeem, 38, was shot nine times Jan. 13 in Al Dabaya village in Luxor Province.
Safwat Samaan, director of human rights group Nation Without Borders, said he doubts the validity of the incompetency finding. It is a common legal tactic in Egypt for Muslims who have killed Copts or committed other acts of violence against members of the Orthodox Christian minority to use the insanity defense to avoid trial or any kind of punishment, he said. (MS)
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