(AFP PHOTO / HASSAN MOHAMED)
By Marina Makary
The Court of Cassation’s Prosecution demanded Saturday the reopening of the murder charges case against former President Hosni Mubarak over the 25 January Revolution events.
The Court is scheduled to look into the case on 2 April. The Criminal Court had previously ordered the acquittal of Mubarak, his sons Gamal and Alaa, and former Minister of Interior Habib Al-Adly, along with six of his aides on charges of killing protesters.
Regarding the acquittal ruling, the Criminal Court said that Mubarak was referred by the general prosecution to court 60 days after Al-Adly and other security chiefs, making the case invalid. However, the Court of Cassation argued that the general prosecution has the right to refer defendants at any time, adding that the late referral was due to the instable security situation in Egypt.
Both Mubarak and Al-Adly had previously denied issuing orders to kill protesters during the 25 January Revolution in their defence testimony before the Cairo Criminal Court.
The Cassation Prosecution also added that the court ruling on Mubarak’s acquittal is illegal because the Criminal Court listened to the testimonies of only some witnesses and not others. Mubarak was also accused of harming public funds through the exportation of natural gas to Israel.
Labelled ‘Trial of the Century’, the first session took place on 4 August 2011. Mubarak was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012. However, the Court of Cassation accepted Mubarak’s appeal and ordered a retrial before a different Criminal Court in 2013.
The prosecution ordered Mubarak’s first detention period after receiving reports of the protestors’ killings during the 25 January Revolution, abuse of power and corruption. He was referred to the Criminal Court the following month. Mubarak was arrested in April 2011.
