Sunday, November 23, 2008

AFP - Riot in Egypt city after police kill man by mistake

CAIRO (AFP) — Police fired tear-gas at about 2,000 rioters in the southern Egyptian town of Aswan on Sunday as they protested the police shooting to death of a bird-seller, a security official said.

Police with the anti-drug squad had mistaken the man, Abdel Wahab Abdel Razeq, for a drug dealer.

"They were going to arrest a drug dealer. They went into the wrong apartment," the official said.

Egypt's official MENA news agency reported that the man had opened fire on police before being shot, although this was not possible to confirm.

On hearing of Abdel Razeq's death, the protesters surrounded the hospital where his body was taken and pelted it with stones, smashing windows.

Riot police clashed with the demonstrators, firing tear-gas to disperse them. Four protesters were injured in the clash.

MENA reported that an Aswan prosecutor has summoned the policemen for questioning.

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