Actor Mirhan Hussein accuses police of assault, harassment

Popular singer and actress Mirhan Hussein has accused police forces of assault and harassment after they pulled her over for allegedly driving under the influence on Tuesday.

Hussein came to fame through the reality show “Star Academy” in 2008, and subsequently appeared in a number of TV shows and films.

She was reportedly held for 24 hours at the Haram Police Station on Tuesday before she was released on bail, reported the privately owned newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm on Wednesday. Hussein published a statement on Facebook after her release denying the drunk-driving charges and accusing the arresting officers of abuse. Hussein uploaded pictures showing bruising around her eyes, lips and on her legs, writing, “Share so the truth comes out.”

A hospital Hussein went to after the assault released a report saying that she had bruising and abrasions on her arm and upper lip, and that there were abrasions on her genitalia, the privately owned Al-Shorouk newspaper reported Wednesday.

But Ihab Bahar, an officer at the Haram Police Station, denies she was beaten. “I did not hit her and I don't know anything about her injuries. She is the one who did this to herself so that she could accuse us of hitting her,” he told Al-Shorouk.

Hussein's sister, Nadine Hussein Basiony, posted a Facebook statement Wednesday claiming that Hussein was driving back from a photo shoot in the early hours of the morning when she was stopped by the police. The conflict began when one of the officers dropped Hussein’s license and became angry, then reached through the window to take the key from the ignition and touched her breast while doing so, Basiony stated. Hussein then refused to get out of the car when directed, so the police officer hit her with his pen, provoking her to lash out verbally at the security forces, according to the Facebook statement.

The police officer directed his colleague to film Hussein swearing at the officers, then accused her of drunk driving. A video was released on Tuesday showing the policemen surrounding Hussein as she told them to leave her alone and swore at them.

When the officers took Hussein to the police station they allegedly beat her, insulted her and poured a bucket of urine on the young woman, Basiony claimed.

The Actors Syndicate will file a report with the prosecutor general for police misconduct, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported. Syndicate head Ashraf Zaki said they will be pushing for the offenders to be charged with cruelty and indecent assault.

The Interior Ministry has long stood accused of enforcing systemic sexual violence against female political prisoners and detainees. In one recent high-profile case in March 2015, a video was released showing police beating and sexually assaulting two women in Daqahlia.

There has been a recent surge in public outcry against police abuses following a string of assaults, shootings and torture committed by security forces nationwide. A policeman shot and killed a young man in Darb al-Ahmar on February 19. The young man's death sparked protests in his neighborhood and the policeman was severely beaten by bystanders and neighbors. In the beginning of February, doctors closed a Matareya hospital in protest against police intimidation after reports emerged that two police officers attempted to strongarm physicians into falsifying medical reports.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Interior Ministry have promised to take measures to halt such incidents, which officials claim are the actions of a few rogue individuals and not representative of a systemic problem.