Assault charges dismissed against NYC protester who said he was beaten by Egyptian officials
Charges dropped after video support, as Manhattan prosecutor cites lack of evidence that the protester was the aggressor; case unfolds ahead of UN General Assembly
Prosecutors dismissed assault charges against Yasin El Sammak, 22, and his 15-year-old brother stemming from a confrontation outside an Egyptian diplomatic building in Manhattan last month. The Manhattan district attorney's office said the evidence did not support that El Sammak was the aggressor in the incident, in which the brothers say they were attacked by Egyptian government officials.
Video recordings taken by El Sammak and another activist at the scene show Egyptian officials confronting the brothers on a sidewalk, then dragging them behind the glass doors of the building and beating them with a metal chain. El Sammak has said he was choked with a keffiyeh during the assault and sustained bruising around his neck. Police arrived quickly to separate the people, but the brothers say officers did not intervene on their behalf and instead moved to arrest them. The NYPD has said that El Sammak used the chain on one official, leaving that person with swelling and pain in the hands; El Sammak has denied that accusation. The department initially declined to accept a police report from the brothers' attorney, arguing the charges were outside the department's jurisdiction, though the report was later accepted and no additional arrests were announced.
Under international law, diplomatic officials enjoy immunity from certain criminal prosecutions. A police spokesperson did not say whether immunity factored into the decision not to press charges against the Egyptian officials involved. An inquiry to the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations seeking comment was not returned. The dismissal comes just days before the start of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and follows a wave of protests at Egyptian diplomatic missions across Europe and elsewhere demanding that humanitarian aid be allowed through the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. Egyptian officials have denied blocking aid and have condemned the demonstrations.
El Sammak said the charges being dropped vindicate his account of the events, while his family and attorneys emphasized the broader message of accountability for diplomatic conduct. The younger brother's charges were previously sealed in family court, limiting public detail about the case. No further arrests have been reported in connection with the incident.