(AFP File Photo)
On Saturday the Cairo Criminal Court postponed until Monday the trial of former president Hosni Mubarak, his sons Gamal and Alaa, former Minister of the Interior Habib El-Adly, and six of his presidential advisers, the third postponement in the last two weeks.
Held at the Police Academy in Cairo’s Fifth Settlement, the defendants face charges that include inciting the killing of protesters during the 25 January Revolution, creating chaos and exporting underpriced fuel to Israel.
On Monday, the court will hear the continuation of the testimony from defendant and former state security chief Hassan Abdel Rahman, which began on 5 May.
On 27 April, the court heard arguments from the defence team of Major General Ahmed Ramzi, former head of the Central Security Forces, Egypt’s riot control police.
Ramzi’s attorneys claimed the prosecution provided no proof that officials ordered police to fire live ammunition on protesters. The defence said that Ramzi urged that security forces use restraint, and only employed tear gas and batons to disperse crowds.
The defence team said that if firearms were used against protesters, the number of casualties would have been “hundreds of times higher”.
Mubarak’s trial, referred to by many as “The Trial of the Century”, has faced repeated delays. On Saturday, the hearing was adjourned until Sunday.
In February, prosecution announced that Mubarak would also stand trial with his two sons and face charges of embezzlement. Prosecution alleged that Mubarak and his sons embezzled EGP 125m ($18m) earmarked for presidential palaces.
