Six months after 28-year-old Khaled Said died while being arrested in Alexandria, there are claims of another death at the hands of officers from the same police station.

The family of 19-year-old Ahmed Shaaban say he was arrested along with several friends for not showing their ID cards to police when returning from a wedding. They allege that he was beaten to death in Sidi Gabr police station before his body was dumped in a lake.

According to the Egyptian Chronicles blog, his family were initially contacted by people who found his mobile phone and jacket at the lake. Later, a letter arrived saying his body was in the mortuary. The interior ministry maintains that he committed suicide.

Egyptian Chronicles says Ahmed Shaaban appears to come from a poor family, so the authorities may be hoping his death won't cause as much of a fuss as that of Khaled Said.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 15 November 2010