Egypt’s state prosecutor has referred a police officer to trial for allegedly shooting to death a leftist female protester during a peaceful rally in central Cairo.
The police officer, who was not named by the prosecution on Tuesday, will stand trial before a criminal court.
The death of Shaima al-Sabbagh, which was partly captured by a photographer, prompted President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to publicly demand that the perpetrator be brought to justice.
She was shot to death as police dispersed a small march of leftists on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the January 25 uprising.
The marchers had been carrying a wreath to a monument commemorating the deaths of protesters during the revolt that toppled President Hosni Mubarak.
Hisham Barakat, the chief prosecutor, said in a statement that the investigation revealed Sabbagh died from birdshot fired towards her and other protesters by an officer ordered to disperse the protest. The ammunition can be lethal at close quarters.
Barakat charged the police officer with involuntary manslaughter, punishable by up to seven years. No trial date has been set.
