Egypt unrest: Suspects held in rooftop killing of Alexandria teen

CAIRO -- Egyptian authorities said Thursday they are holding two Muslim Brotherhood members suspected in the killing last week of an Alexandria teenager, who was thrown from a rooftop during clashes between supporters and opponents of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.

Security officials said the men had confessed to throwing Hamada Badr, 17, off a six-story building, according to Egyptian state media. Muslim Brotherhood officials in Alexandria have denied that their members took part in the attack.

A cellphone video of the grisly incident was widely disseminated on YouTube, sending shock waves through the country. Two other teens were also thrown off the roof, but survived with injuries.

One suspect was detained Sunday, authorities said. On Thursday, prosecutors asked a court to hold the men for an additional 15 days pending investigations, according to Egypt’s official Middle East News Agency.

Badr’s family said he was celebrating Morsi’s fall with friends when a gang attacked them. Some witnesses said the teens were throwing rocks at pro-Morsi supporters, but Badr’s friends denied doing anything to provoke the attack.

Dozens of people have died in clashes and fiery protests since Morsi and his Islamist Brotherhood were toppled in a military coup last week. After soldiers fired on an Islamist sit-in on Monday, killing at least 51 people, the Brotherhood called for a national uprising and has refused to submit to the new government.

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