Three German policemen go on trial over death of Sudanese man

FRANKFURT, Sept 22 (AFP) — Three German policemen went on trial here on Wednesday accused of causing injuries which led to the death of a Sudanese immigrant as he was being deported in 1999.

The employees of the border police, aged between 31 and 40, face a minimum prison sentence of three years each if found guilty by the state court.

A doctor has concluded that Aamir Ageeb, 30, was beaten up by the policemen on board a Lufthansa plane taking him from Frankfurt to Cairo.

Ageeb’s death in 1999 prompted protests from the Sudanese government and was greeted with horror in Germany where all deportations were suspended for four weeks while an inquiry was held.

Medical reports have described how Ageeb was shackled by rope to his seat, his arms, hands, legs and feet tied with plastic binding and Velcro strip, and a helmet placed over his head.

The use of helmets to protect people during forced deportations has since been banned in Germany.

Ageeb, a refugee from Sudan’s civil war who had moved to Germany in 1994, was pronounced dead shortly after take-off from Frankfurt and his body was taken off the plane when it made an unscheduled stop at Munich.

The three policemen went on trial in a different Frankfurt court in March accused of involuntary manslaughter, but after hearing evidence from experts the court ruled the accused should face the higher charge of “causing injuries leading to death”.