Death by Torture Roils Egypt

Protesters are back in Egypt’s Tahrir Square after officials tortured a 24-year-old prisoner to death, with people crying out that the new junta government is as brutal as Mubarak’s regime. Essam Ali Atta was serving a two-year jail term for an allegedly “common crime” when he was attacked by prison guards after trying to smuggle a sim card into his cell. Other prisoners claimed the guards repeatedly shoved water hoses into his mouth and anus, causing internal bleeding. An officer then transferred Atta to the hospital, where he died less than 24 hours later. Atta’s death is the latest case of torture incidents that have roiled Egypt since Mubarak’s regime was toppled.