The Ninth Circuit of the Criminal Court of Appeal in Alexandria, ruled on the appeal submitted by three residents of Sidi Barrani in Matrouh Governorate against their prison sentences. In Case No. 279 of 2023 (Sidi Barrani), registered with No. 1095 of 2023 (Matrouh). The court sentenced the first defendant to three years in prison and acquitted two others.

On December 10th 2024, the Criminal Court of Appeal in Alexandria adjourned the trial to January 12th to question the chief forensic doctor about on the autopsy report of a police personnel who was killed in the incident. However, the forensic doctor failed to attend.

Meanwhile, the victim’s family said they reconciled with Abdullah Saad, the first defendant. Accordingly, the court reduced his first-degree sentence from life imprisonment and police monitoring to three years, while acquitting the two other defendants.

The case dates back to July 2023, when security forces arrested many citizens  of the town of Sidi Barrani after dozens of them gathered outside the city’s police station to protest over the death of fellow resident Farahat Al-Mahfouzi when he succumbed to injuries he sustained from being directly shot by police officer Ali Lamie. 

The prosecution decided to refer five of those arrested to trial on charges of gathering, showing force, and “premeditated murder” of a police personnel who was hit by a car. The prosecution also referred Lamie to trial for “manslaughter” in Case No. 278 of 2023 (Sidi Barrani Felonies). The criminal court issued a first-degree ruling sentencing the first defendant to life imprisonment and keeping him under police monitoring for an additional three years, while the second and third defendants were sentenced to five years in prison each and remaining under police monitoring for an additional three years. Meanwhile, the court acquitted Lamie after it saw that he “used his legitimate right to self-defence”.