Egypt Latest: Investigating a Death from "Torture"; Challenging the Government and Sectarianism

1435 GMT: Mohammad ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency of a founder of the National Alliance for Change, has responded to the alleged torturing to death of Sayed Balal: "If torture is proven to have occurred, officials at all levels must be punished. Torture is a crime against humanity. It is not an internal affair."

0725 GMT: The Egyptian public prosecutor has ordered an autopsy on the body of Mohamed Sayyid Bilal, who died in detention on Wednesday after he was arrested in a protest in Alexandria. 

Bilal's brother Ibrahim claimed the body had signs of burns and other abuse, and the family then filed a report with the prosecutor's office demanding an investigation.

Bilal was one of at least 300 Salafists, an Islamic denomination, who was rounded up by the authorities after the 1 January bombing that killed at least 23 people in Alexandria.

The incident has reached national media, with Khalaf Bayoumy,the head the Shehab Centre for Human Rights suggesting Bilal was tortured to death: "Bruises and hematomas are in various parts of his body. He was arrested without warrant and the authorities were keen to bury him as soon as possible."

The Ministry of Interior refused to comment on developments.

Meanwhile, Al Masry Al Youm profiles secular groups, looking both for an end to sectarianism and calling for an end to the Government’s inclination “to turn a blind eye to many discriminatory practices against Egypt’s Christians".

The statement on Tuesday, from a coalition including Egyptians Against Religious Discrimination (MARED) and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, continues the pursuit of aim of “engaging in advocacy to uphold the values of freedom of thought and belief and to deepen the culture of citizenship rights", notably through cultural gathering. “These events serve to highlight the importance of acting quickly to change the discriminatory laws and policies we have in Egypt, as well as creating awareness about the topic in Egypt,” said Mounir Megahed of MARED.

The Government, however, has been far from welcoming. On 30 October, MARED's “Egypt for all Egyptians” was cancelled by security forces. EIPR Director Hossam Bahgat has said the government, instead of blocking the initiative, needs to prosecute all perpetrators of sectarian crimes, take measures to protect followers of different faiths, and change discriminatory policy.

The Mubarak Government, however, seems more concerned on Saturday with outsiders rather than the move for unity within the country. Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Abul Gheit, effectively told the European Union to keep its nose out of Egyptian affairs, saying that the EU "does not have the authority to assess the Egyptian state’s handling of Copts and Muslim-Coptic relations".