Hamas spokesman accuses Egypt of torturing brother to death (Roundup)

Oct 13, 2009, 15:18 GMT

Gaza/Cairo - Hamas' Gaza Strip spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri charged Tuesday that Egypt had tortured his brother to death.

Yousef Abu Zuhri died Monday while in Egyptian custody.

Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement to the media his 38-year-old brother 'died in one of the Egyptian hospitals due to severe and barbarian torture practiced by Egyptian security officers.

'Due to heavy torture, my brother suffered severe bleeding, but security officers refused to take him to hospital. When his condition deteriorated, on Saturday, he was taken briefly to a private hospital for first aid and then was brought back to prison,' Abu Zuhri said.

He said Yousef kept suffering 'until he died in prison on Monday night without any announcement by the Egyptian authorities.'

He added that he demanded an honest investigation into the circumstances of his brother's death.

'I am calling on President Husni Mubarak do to his best to immediately reveal the circumstances of my brother's death and form an investigation committee to punish those who were behind my brother's death,' he said.

Fawzi Barhoum, another Hamas spokesman, said in a statement sent to the media that Hamas has asked Egypt to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of Yosef Abu Zhuri.

Abu Zuhri was arrested by Egyptian security forces in the city of al-Arish about six months ago. He had entered Egyptian territory through a tunnel dug under the Gaza-Sinai border.

The Egyptian Ministry of the Interior confirmed the death, but had no further comment.