(Image Source: The Telegraph)
BY KYLIE MCGIVERN
More than 850 are protesters dead - some say, at the order of Egypt’s former president. Now, the president’s trial has come to a screeching halt.
“The trial for former Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak postponed after demands for a new judge. A new hearing set for next month. Mubarak was ousted from power in February.”
Mubarak has been on trial since August 3rd, for ordering the killings of protesters. He faces other corruption charges as well, with his sons, six of his top aids, and former interior minister. All deny the charges.
The Daily News Egypt reports what’s causing the latest holdup in the case.
“A number of the lawyers representing the martyrs' families filed a petition demanding a change of the judges’ panel, claiming that the presiding judge's brother had dealings with some of the defendants.”
One of the plaintiff lawyers says...
"He should have stepped down Sunday from presiding over the case, but he is insisting to continue although it was proven that [judge Ahmed Refaat] too was indirectly involved with the defendants.”
Ahram Online reports some of the lawyers demands for Refaat to be replaced came after the session when Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Egypt’s de facto ruler, testified.
“The lawyers complained they were not given sufficient time to question Tantawi, who heads the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), in what has been branded by local media as the ‘trial of the century.’ Some pundits have criticised the lawyers, saying their manoeuvre would backfire and further delay the trial.”
Now that a delay is inevitable, The Telegraph reports what’s next for the trial.
“MENA (Middle East and North Africa) said the trial will resume once a decision has been taken on call to replace Refaat, who has defended the court's integrity in previous sessions while lashing out at critics...An appeals court is due to give a verdict on December 26.”
If the court upholds lawyers’ objection to Refaat, the trial must start over with a new judge. The next hearing is set for December 28.
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