The former president of Egypt Hosni Mubarak was found guilty of failure to prevent the killing of protesters and given a life imprisonment sentence; but was acquitted of corruption charges. The former Minister of the Interior Habib El Adly was also given a life imprisonment sentence.

 Both Mubarak and Adly were convicted “for failing to intervene to stop killings, (but were) not convicted for having aiding and abetting killing protesters.”

The sentencing of Mubarak is seen as a historic moment in the Arab world, as he is the first leader to be convicted in his own country by the system and and the people he ruled over for some 30 years.

Mubarak’s two sons Gamal and Alaa were acquitted of the graft charges levied against them due to the statute of limitations as they were committed more then ten years ago.

However both Gamal and Alaa face a later court trial after they were charged with fraud and insider trading a few days ago. Six senior police officials who were also on trial with Mubarak and Adly for the killing of protesters were acquitted due to insufficient evidence against them.

Following the reading of the sentences anti-Mubarak protesters inside the courthouse began shouting ‘fraud, fraud’ at the judge followed by “the people want to cleanse the judiciary’. A fight soon broke out between the two set of lawyers and the pro and anti Mubarak protesters inside the court and soon after clashed erupted outside

The feeling of euphoria felt by many at Mubarak’s and Adly’s verdicts was quickly dashed when the judge announced the acquittal of the former president’s son and the former police heads with many believing Mubarak and Adly were the sacrificial lambs with one media pundit when asked if this was the end of an era for Egypt replied: “Not really, Mubarak is gone but Mubarak’s regime is still there”.

From early Saturday morning pro and anti Mubarak protesters filled up the vacant area in front of the court house in northern Cairo with banners and chants. Posters of Khalid Said, the young man killed by police in Alexandria and was the catalyst for the anti-Mubarak protest movement, were held by many hoping to see justice.

The presiding judge Ahmed Refaat gave a short speech before he read the verdicts saying, Mubarak’s era was “black, black, black” and that it was a “hopeless era” that came to an end through the “brave sons of Egypt”. Adding that the court bore “a burden no human could have tolerated”

According to the predising judge the trial took 49 sessions, 250 hours, 60,000 pages, adding that he rejected accounts by witnesses who lacked credibility or who seemed to have been compromised.

Reports on Saturday said the verdict would be shown live on national television with foreign media paying between $7000 – $10,000 for the broadcast rights.

Monitor

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