20111029
Press TV
People in Egypt have staged a protest rally in the capital Cairo's landmark Liberation Square against the country's military rulers, Press TV reports.

Thousands of protesters gathered following Friday Prayers to take part in a demonstration called by more than a dozen youth groups and opposition parties.

On what they dubbed “Friday of Common Demand,” the protesters renewed their called on the ruling junta to hand over power to a civilian government.

They also called for the lifting of the country's emergency laws and an end to military trials for civilians.

Egypt's military council has come under heavy criticism for failing to transfer power to a civilian authority.

The council had pledged to do so within six months after the toppling of Hosni Mubarak's regime in February.

The angry Egyptians on Friday also repeated their demand for a law barring old regime figures and corrupt politicians from politics, ahead of the country's vote for a new parliament starting on November 28.

Since the ouster of the Mubarak regime, the Liberation Square has been the scene of weekly protests against the military council, which is headed by Mubarak's former defense minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.

The Friday protest came amid an outrage following reports that prison guards tortured an inmate to death.

Essam Ali Atta, 24, died on Thursday at a Cairo hospital of heart failure after officers pushed water hoses for reportedly smuggling a mobile SIM card into prison.

Egyptian activists have accused police forces of systematic use of torture against detainees.