Protesters demand the execution of the ousted president outside court (photo: Reuters)
Lawyers accuse Field Marshal Tantawi and former vice president Omar Suleiman of perjury, whilst another calls for the death penalty for Mubarak, as the court hear from 10 civil rights lawyers invited to present their cases by Judge Ahmed Refaat. The 17th session of Mubarak’s trial will continue on Tuesday giving the lawyers a second day to present in court.
Sameh Ashour, one of the lawyers who spoke and the Chairman of the Lawyers’ Syndicate, described the shooting of the protesters as not only attempted murder but also the “rape of a whole nation.” Evidence Ashour discussed in the case included shutting down the nation’s mobile and internet networks and using live ammunition. Ashour also stated that the fact that the recorded CCTV files were deliberately damaged was proof official orders were issued to use violence against the protesters.
Amir Salem, another of the civil rights lawyers, then accused the National Security Agency, the Ministry of Interior and the now dismantled State Security Intelligence Agency of attempting to put down the revolution by mobilising thousands of thugs to provoke clashes with the protesters during the January 25 Revolution.
Salem has demanded that the prosecution accuse Field Marshal Tantawi and former vice president Omar Suleiman of perjury claiming that their testimonies conflict with what was documented as happening during the revolution.
There was much speculation that the ousted president Mubarak ordered the army to shoot protesters during the revolution due to initial statements made by Tantawi, General Sami Anan and other commanders of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces immediately after Mubarak stepped down. However this was later disproved when Tantawi himself denied these accusations in court.
Lawyer Khaled Abu Bak also stated Mubarak was capable of stopping the attacks on the protesters adding that hundreds of victims and martyrs lost their lives so that Mubarak could remain in power.
Abu Bakr, agreeing with the prosecution’s statements last week, said Mubarak deserved to die. He called for the court to apply Article 77 of the criminal code which punishes those who endanger national security with the death penalty. Abu Bakr added that the former State Security Intelligence Agency had copies of the damaged CCTV recordings of Tahrir. These films, he said, had failed to be included in the prosecutor’s case.
Ousted president Mubarak, former minister of interior Habib El-Adly and six of his assistants are being accused of killing protesters during January 25 Revolution . 846 protests were killed and 11,000 were injured during the January protests
Short link: