Hamas official to lodge lawsuit against Cairo

Hamas spokesperson, Sami Abu Zuhri, says he will pursue legal action in international courts against Cairo over desecrating the remains of his brother who was tortured to death in an Egyptian jail.

Zuhri claims that the body of his brother, Yousef Abu Zuhri, was not intact when it was returned to the family. The Hamas official meanwhile refused to accept the Egyptian general prosecution’s autopsy report declaring Yousef Abu Zuhri had died of natural causes.

“Why was an autopsy performed without the family’s knowledge or presence? Why were parts of the body taken before it was returned to us?” Sami Abu Zuhri questioned. “Why did it take (Egypt) four days to inform us of the death? We learned of it from other inmates in the prison.”

The Hamas representative went on to say the report lied about purported treatment of his brother at the Alexandria university hospital, explaining that his brother — Yousef Abu Zuhri — was refused admission into that hospital two days before his death.

Abu Zuhri held the Egyptian state security responsible for his brother’s death, charging that the report only served as a cover up for the criminals who tortured Yousef to death.

“The report will not close this case,” he added. “We are gearing to address the situation through legal channels and international human rights organizations,” the Hamas official underscored.

Both the Abu Zuhri family and Hamas maintain that in the days prior to his death, Yousef sent his family messages begging them to help him before he succumbs to torture.