Officers accused of killing protesters acquitted

The Cairo Criminal Court acquitted police officers accused of killing protesters at the El-Salam Police department on January 28 last year on what is remembered as the "Friday of Rage". The Court, headed by Mohammed Khalaf Allah, refused the claim filed by prosecutors according to the civil right. The trial started at 1.30pm on Monday, without the presence of the two accused police officers. In the previous trial, the victim Yusuf Salama retracted his statements and told the chief judge that he did not see the person who shot him. Salama said all he knew was that he was living in front of the police department in El-Salam city and, on the Friday of Rage, he got stuck in the crowd of protesters in front of the police station and he was shot in the leg. The injured stated: "I did not want to be unjust, as I did not see the two accused officers in front of the police department. I could not see who shot me". He also added that he made sure, from the prosecution investigation, that the accused officers were not present and that they were on duty outside the department. Several neighbours and protesters confirmed that both officers were not at the police station on Friday, January 28.