CAIRO — The Egyptian authorities on Thursday barred the news media from discussing the case of a prominent activist whose killing last month has aroused outrage over the rate of civilian deaths from police violence.
The activist, Shaimaa el-Sabbagh, 31, a mother and a poet, was participating in a procession to lay flowers in Tahrir Square when she was killed by a shotgun blast at close range. Several witnesses said the blast had come from riot police officers firing birdshot and tear gas, and photographs and videos show Ms. Sabbagh dying in a friend’s arms as he tries to hold her up and carry her.
Civilian deaths in confrontations with the police have become routine in Egypt, and one day after Ms. Sabbagh died — on the fourth anniversary of the start the Arab Spring revolt here — 20 more were killed. But the stark photographs and Ms. Sabbagh’s personal biography have drawn special attention in even the state-run and pro-government news media. Her killing has resonated so widely that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi addressed it publicly, saying he saw her as his own “daughter” and urging the police to identify a culprit.
Prosecutors now appear to be trying to quiet all the clamor. The Egyptian state news media reported Thursday that the general prosecutor, Hisham Barakat, had barred the media from any discussion of her death, except for relaying information provided by his office, until he concludes his investigation.
“They want the people to forget this case,” said Negad el-Borai, an Egyptian lawyer who often represents media organizations, adding that he believed most people would comply for fear of a jail sentence.
“Every day we have some additional people die,” he added, “so people will make noise about the new victims and forget the old ones — this is their policy now.”
“Because of this, people will stop talking about Shaimaa el-Sabbagh,” he said. “Step by step, we will forget it.”
Final Moments of Activist Shot in Cairo
Videos captured the final moments of the Egyptian activist Shaimaa al-Sabbagh’s life before and after she was shot by the police during a peaceful protest in Cairo on Jan. 24.
February 3, 2015. Photo by Emad El-Gebaly/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images.More on nytimes.com
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