Tortured Egyptian worker trial begins, gruesome details shared

Egyptian worker Walid Taleb’s trial began on March 10 after being postponed four times

The trial of Egyptian worker Walid Taleb who was allegedly tortured and brutally abused by his employer on the island of Salamina in the summer of 2012 opened at the Piraeus Criminal Court of Appeal on Tuesday under Draconian security measures.

The four defendants in the case are a Greek bakery owner where hte Egyptian was employed, the baker’s son, an Albanian national and a friend of the baker’s family. The four men are accused of various crimes including abduction, robbery, physical assault and insulting the Egyptian’s sexual dignity.

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Taleb said that he had initially been beaten by three of the defendants. His hands had been chained and they put a chain around his neck before taking him to a warehouse. He had been hung from a wooden beam on the ceiling and hit so much that he lost track of time. He said that the men stripped him naked, took money from his pockets, pulled down his pants and attempted to sexually abuse him with a cane. He said that the defendants drank beer and then poured it over him while insulting his muslim faith.

Later, when his brother and friends sought him, the bakery owner denied hadn’t seeing him and offered to call the police if he didn’t show up soon.

For the last three years, Taleb had serious problems with his eyes and left leg. He has post-traumatic stress symptoms and is being treated by psychiatrists as he has fears for his life.

Anti-racist organizations gathered outside the court early on Tuesday to support the victim.

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