Damanhour Criminal Court sentenced on Thursday a police officer to five years in prison for beating a citizen to death in May at a police station in Beheira governorate.

The court acquitted two other low ranking policemen who were also facing charges in the death of the victim, Sayid El-Kassabry.

The sentence can still be appealed.

The court's verdict comes hours after a decision by Luxor prosecutors to refer four police officers and five lower-ranking policemen to the criminal court on charges of torturing to death another man in police custody in Upper Egypt's Luxor.

Human rights organisations have repeatedly condemned what they describe as "widespread torture" by Egyptian police.

The interior ministry has stated that it shows "no leniency" towards policemen who engage in torture.