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Saturday, June 2, 2012

Former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak sentenced to life in prison


Former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak was today sentenced to life in prison for allegedly ordering the shooting of protesters during the Egyptian uprising that took place last year.The judge Ahamed Refaat ruled that he Mubarak was not guilty of ordering the shooting of protesters by security forces but was guilty of not using his political power to stop the blood shed.
All other charges, which included profiteering and economic fraud, were dismissed, allowing key members of Mubarak's family and security apparatus – including his two sons Gamal and Alaa and several top security officials – to walk free. Legal experts claimed the ruling left Mubarak's life sentence "wide open" to appeal, and political analysts said the outcome was a victory for the deep state and a sign of the old regime reasserting its grip over the country.
The ruling was greeted by jubilation but later turned to anger as details of the ruling emerged.

But as the complete verdict was delivered inside the police academy turned courthouse in the eastern suburb of New Cairo where the 10-month trial took place, scuffles erupted in front of the bench and angry lawyers chanted "the people want the cleansing of the judiciary".
Outside, where anti-Mubarak protesters and the family members of those killed were separated off from a pro-Mubarak rally by thousands of riot police and armoured personnel carriers, revolutionaries reacted with disbelief and rage as the full implication of the judge's words became apparent. "This isn't a verdict – Mubarak is a dead man anyway but the others need to be executed 10 times over," said Mohamed Atyan, an ever-present figure throughout the trial who describes himself as the father of all the martyrs, as shouts of "it's theatre" thundered all around him.

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