An Egyptian court has acquitted six policemen charged in connection with the killings of 83 protesters in the northern Mediterranean city of Alexandria during the 2011 uprising.
The six policemen acquitted on Saturday included the former head of security and of the riot police in Alexandria. Charges included incitement of murder, with prosecutors saying commanders armed policemen with live ammunition.
Rights groups say courts have failed to hold police accountable for the deaths of over 840 protesters during the 18-day uprising.
The policemen’s lawyers denied they were responsible for the killings. Legal experts say that, given the chaos of the uprising, it is often impossible to prove that any individual was responsible for any specific death.
So far, no policeman has been jailed for killing protesters in the uprising.
