Egypt's Military Ruler Tantawi to testify against Mubarak

Egypt's Military Ruler Field Marshal Mohamad Tantawi has been summoned to testify against former president Hosni Mubarak. He is the previous regime's defence minister, and currently runs the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF).

Another official summoned to give evidence against Mubarak is his former vice-president and intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman.

Mubarak faces charges of ordering the shooting of protesters during the uprising that prompted his resignation in February. The former president, who is reportedly in ill-health, denies the charges.

The proceedings resumed amid minor riots outside the court as the two sides – the pro Mubarak supporters and the revolutionaries – squared up to each other. Some people were chanting in favour of Mubarak while others are calling for the death penalty.

Many people believe that the testimony of senior officials, such as Tantawi, will be crucial in determining whether Mubarak abused his authority and ordered security officials to use lethal forces on protesters.

According to the BBC, one of the witnesses, a senior police official, was arrested for changing his evidence. The officer had originally told lawyers that he was given orders to use live ammunition on demonstrators but later retracted the statement on the stand.

On Monday 5th September, none of the witnesses who testified implicated Mubarak in the deaths of protesters during the revolution. It is estimated that around 850 people were killed during the 18 day uprising in Cairo's Tahrir Square in January and February.

The trial of Mubarak, and his sons Gamal and Alaa, has been merged with that of former interior minister Habib al-Adly, also accused of ordering the killing of protesters during the uprising.

Sources: BBC News, AP, AFP

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

Mubarak and sons to be tried for killing demonstrators

Egyptian officials have announced that ousted president Hosni Mubarak and his two sons are to be tried for ordering the deaths of anti-government protesters. Mubarak, who stepped-down in February, is being detained at a hospital, in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, along with this wife Suzanne.

Mubarak's two sons, Alaa and Gamal, are under detention in Cairo's Tora prison. They also face fraud charges. All three have been charged with "premeditated murder of some participants in the peaceful protests of the 25th January revolution”. The charges were issued by Egypt's prosecutor general after the most recent calls on Friday 20th May for the Mubarak family to be brought to justice.

It is estimated that more than 800 people were killed during anti-government protests that ousted Mubarak. Many suspect the family has accrued a large fortune, worth tens of billion, but the Mubaraks deny these allegations. Their bank accounts in the capital, as well as those in Switzerland, have been frozen. Suzanne Mubarak has also agreed to hand-over $3 million worth of assets to the State following an investigation over corruption charges.

Since Mubarak's resignation, several minister linked to the regime have been put on trial. Earlier this month, former interior minister Habib Al-Adly got 12 years on charges of money-laundering and profiteering. He also faces charges of ordering the killings of demonstrators.

Sources: BBC News, Houston Chronicle, Sydney Morning Herald

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

Egypt: Former interior minister Habib Al-Adly sentenced to 12 years in prison

Egypt's former interior minister Habib Al-Adly was sentenced to 12 years in jail on charges of money-laundering and profiteering on Thursday 5th May.

Al-Adly is the first senior official from the regime of ousted president Hosni Mubarak to be tried. He pleaded not guilty to charges of money-laundering and illicitly enriching himself while in office, but was convicted of both.

Al-Adly ran Mubarak's security services for more than a decade and was despised for abuses committed by his security agents, according to AFP. Under his rule, torture was routine and police officers were seldom tried for abuses of power.

Mubarak was forced to resign from power in February after 18 days of demonstrations. Al-Adly's police forces were a particular target for demonstrators during the first days of the protests, a sign of how they were perceived by the populace.

The charges that Al-Adly were convicted of related to the sale of land, which he owned, but tasked the police with finding a buyer for. He was given seven years for profiteering and five years for money-laundering. He was also fined 15 million Egyptian pounds (US$2 million).

He also faces a second trial on charges of ordering police to shoot protestors, and a third over a deal with a German firm to supply Egypt with licence plates at inflated prices.

Former president Mubarak is also under investigation for corruption and for involvement in the killing of anti-regime protestors. Both al-Adly and Mubarak could face the death penalty if convicted of the latter charge.

An official inquiry into deaths during the revolt of January and February found that at least 846 civilians were killed. Most of them were shot in the head and chest, indicating the use of snipers.

Much of the former regime's leadership are now behind bars, most of them on suspicion or charges of corruption. Mubarak's two sons Gamal and Alaa are currently in prison, while Mubarak is being detained in a hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh, after allegedly suffering a heart attack.

Sources: AFP, BBC News

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.