Mubarak to face new trial in April

CAIRO: Egypt’s ousted President Hosni Mubarak will face a new trial beginning April 13 on charges related to the killings of protesters during the revolution that forced him from power, a court ruled yesterday.
Mubarak and his former interior minister were each sentenced to life in prison in June for failing to prevent the killing of protesters during the 18-day uprising in 2011 that ended his 29-year rule.
In January, an appeals court overturned the sentences and ordered a retrial, raising public anger over what was seen as a shoddy prosecution in the first case. Mubarak, 84, has been in detention since April 2011 and is currently being held in a military hospital.
The issue of those killed during the mass protests that led to Mubarak’s ouster is a sensitive one in Egypt, with the families of the victims demanding retribution and compensation. Mursi, promised during his election campaign that he would put former regime officials back on trial if new evidence was discovered.
The proceedings could help resolve unanswered questions over who ordered the crackdown and who executed it.
In January, the appeals court ruled that during Mubarak’s first trial, the prosecution’s case lacked concrete evidence and failed to prove the protesters were killed by the police, indirectly giving credence to the testimony of top Mubarak-era officials that “foreigners” and others were behind the killings between Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, 2011.