Two brothers filming a protest over the war in Gaza outside an Egyptian diplomatic building in Manhattan on Aug. 20 have been arrested and charged with felony assault and strangulation. However, according to video footage by an Egyptian activist that The Associated Press acquired, Egyptian government personnel dragged the two brothers off the street and into the building, where they were thrown to the ground.
Yasin El Sammak, 22, said once inside the building, the Egyptian officials beat him and whipped him with a metal chain.
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“I have bruises all over my body,” El Sammak said. “And then they took my keffiyeh, which is a Palestinian scarf that I was wearing. They tied it around my neck and pulled it extremely hard to the point where I was being suffocated. In those seconds, I felt like I was going to die.”
NYPD arrests brothers, despite conflicting footage
New York City police arrested El Sammak and his 15-year-old brother, accusing them of assault and strangulation. However, the evidence from eyewitnesses and video footage seems to contradict the version of events told to the police by Egyptian officials.
“I expect the very least is when the NYPD, who are supposedly supposed to be there to protect us citizens, come and they actually arrest me,” El Sammak told the AP. “And let those who oppress me and infringe upon my rights — they let them walk free. So I felt very disappointed at that moment.”
When El Sammak’s lawyer tried to press charges against the Egyptian officials who allegedly attacked him, the police refused to take the case and said it was outside their jurisdiction, The Associated Press reported.
According to international law, diplomatic officials are legally protected by “diplomatic immunity,” which shields them from arrest or prosecution for many crimes committed while they’re stationed abroad.
Accusations from both sides as global protests continue
An Egyptian official told the police, as stated in the official criminal complaint, that El Sammak hit him with a metal chain, and this caused the official’s hands to swell and hurt badly, the AP wrote. El Sammak denies the allegation.
Jacqueline Dombroff, El Sammak’s attorney, told the AP that the New York Police Department and the district attorney’s office have seen the footage, but they refused to dismiss the case against her client.
This altercation happened while many people around the world are protesting at Egyptian embassies and consulates, urging Egypt to help Gaza by opening the Rafah border. Egypt says it’s not blocking aid to Gazans and is critical of the protests, citing property damage.
