Egypt prosecutor imposes media gag order on killed protester

World Today

An Egyptian protester holds a poster of Shaimaa el-Sabagh, an activist who was shot dead at a small peaceful protest last Saturday, and Arabic that reads, ” how many martyrs remaining for victory,” during a women’s protest in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015. Photo: AP

Egypt’s top prosecutor imposed a media gag order Thursday on the case of a female protester killed during a peaceful demonstration in January.

Rights groups and political factions accuse the police of killing 32-year-old Shaimaa el-Sabbagh, pointing to widely circulated footage that showed two masked, black-clad policemen pointing their rifles in her direction as gunshots rang out and a voice commanded “fire.”

She was killed on Jan. 24, the eve of the fourth anniversary of the uprising that ousted longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

The police sought to distance themselves from the killing, which revived longstanding charges that they routinely use excessive and lethal force.

On Thursday, a statement from the prosecutor general’s office said the gag order will remain until the investigation is completed.

This story is compiled with information from The Associated Press.