Security forces allegedly shot and killed biker outside presidential palace

Central Security Forces (CSF) are reported to have shot dead a motorcyclist on Tuesday outside the Ettehadiya Presidential Palace, according to some independent media and eyewitness accounts. However, this has not been verified in state-owned media.

According to the Al-Wafd news website, mouthpiece of the liberal Al-Wafd Party, CSF troops opened fire on a motorcyclist who was involved in a collision with a taxi outside the presidential palace in the north Cairo district of Heliopolis.

Al-Wafd reported that the accident caused the motorcyclist to swerve sharply in the direction of the CSF troops guarding the palace, resulting in him being shot to death on suspicion of being a terrorist.

According to the private Veto Newspaper, however, the motorcyclist was simply speeding and veered towards the CSF troops. The paper claims that the armed security forces suspected the driver of being a terrorist and shot him dead.

Citing eyewitness accounts, Veto reports that prosecutors had investigated the scene of the shooting, before an ambulance transported the motorcyclist’s body to the nearby hospital.

On the social networking site Twitter, activist Karim Reda commented: “If this had happened during the days of (President Mohamed) Morsi nobody would have taken action against him, but under (Abdel Fattah al-) Sisi’s rule the orders are open fire immediately.”

Security was heightened around the Ettehadiya Palace as celebrations and rallies took place on Tuesday evening for the official announcement of the presidential election results, which Sisi won by a landslide. Further celebrations are expected between Tuesday and Sunday, when Sisi will swear his oath as Egypt’s new president.

Details and official recognition/denial from presidential staff regarding Tuesday’s reported shooting have not yet been issued.