Ahmad ‘Isá, Director of al-Khusūs Prosecution, ordered that the prime suspect in the violence of al-Khusūs, Najīb Samīr Iskandar, remand under custody for four days pending investigation into the murder of a Muslim man, Muhammad Mahmūd, which ‘allegedly’ led to the eruption of violence between Muslims and Christians in al-Khusūs. Prosecutions decided to detain the father of the accused until the arrival of investigators. They also decided to detain another accused called Iskandar Samīr Iskandar, despite an absence of proof.

The accused surrendered to al-Qalyubia Security Department because they felt it was impossible to escape from the police, especially after a number of people from al-Khusūs, and family members of the victim, had accused the Iskandar family of being involved in the killing of the Muslim man. Samīr Iskandar proclaimed his innocence and stated that he was not present when the incident occurred.

In another development, an oppositions’ judge at al-Khānkah Court decided to renew the imprisonment of 17 people for 10 days pending investigation. Among them are Christians and Muslims accused of participating in the violence of al-Khusūs.

A number of 15 other people were also remanded under custody for four days pending investigation. They are accused of thuggery, stirring up sectarian violence, burning and stealing private property and making firearms and other weapons. The number of people imprisoned until now has reached 35, in addition to the 17 others that were recently arrested for suspected involvement in the events. The family of Iskandar Samīr Iskandar has demanded a second investigating judge to investigate the incident (Salāh al-Wakīl, al-Wafd, Apr. 17, p. 3). Read original text in Arabic.