One year into the revolution and justice remains elusive for most families of the martyrs and the injured, reports Reem Leila Former president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule was ended after massive protests and demonstrations gripped the country one year ago. While the protests were peaceful, the response of Mubarak's security agencies wasn't. Almost 1,000 Egyptians were martyred and another 6,000 injured. For nearly a year, the families of victims and the injured have been seeking justice against the perpetrators of their suffering. Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri announced to the press that all martyrs' families and the injured would be compensated before 25 January 2012. But as of 21 January, 282 martyrs' families have been compensated along with 3,200 injured. These include martyrs' families and the injured from the initial 18-day protests of the January Revolution, the violent incidents in Maspero and Mohamed Mahmoud Street, and the Cabinet clashes that hit the news in recent weeks. Reportedly, not all families of martyrs and the injured have the required documents proving their right to compensation. Meanwhile, the government has raised the amount of compensation from LE5,000 to LE30,000 for martyrs' families, and LE15,000 for those whose injuries lead to physical disabilities, up from just LE3,000. Those injured but not disabled are to get LE5,000. Until now, compensation has cost the Ministry of Finance LE12 million. Major General Mohsen El-Fangari announced at a press conference in June that the compensation available would not only be financial. "The National Council for Care of the Martyrs' Families and the Injured has been created, which will provide to those families all types of social care, and including Hajj and omra [Islamic pilgrimages]. Also jobs will be provided to 3,500 injured, each according to his injury," said El-Fangari. However, the families of the martyrs and injured were not impressed and staged several sit-ins and protests demanding former president Mubarak, former minister of interior Habib El-Adli and his assistants be tried and executed, in addition to other demands, included airing the proceedings on television (banned by the judge in order not to be influenced by public opinion); allocating a specialised court to investigate the murder of demonstrators, in order to speed up the trial process; and the arrest of all police officers responsible for the killing and injuring of revolutionaries. Kawthar, the mother of martyr Mustafa Ragab, known as the revolution's first martyr, is still in mourning. The death of Ragab, 21, who was killed in Suez on 25 January, ignited the anger of protesters in Suez and Tahrir Square in Cairo also. Many consider Ragab the Egyptian Mohamed Bouazizi, the Tunisian whose self-immolation sparked the Tunisian Revolution and some say the Arab Spring. "I did not receive the compensation allocated for martyrs and will not take any. I refused all governmental monies and apartments. I do not want to be pressured for reconciliation with his killers. I want to avenge my son's death," said Kawthar. "How come his killers arrive to court in helicopters and my son did not find an ambulance to take him to the hospital to save his life. Ragab was shot in the chest. The bullet hit his heart." Emad Effat, head of the fatwa (religious edict) section of Dar Al-Ifta, was killed by live fire on 16 December while standing at the Tahrir Square entrance to Qasr Al-Aini Street as the army was attacking a sit-in protesting against the appointment of Kamal El-Ganzouri as premier by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). An autopsy the following day showed that Effat died as a result of a bullet penetrating both his lungs and his heart before exiting his body. Yasser Ouf is a protester who had three ribs broken during the infamous "Battle of the Camel" on 2 February in Tahrir Square. He says the injured and most of the martyrs' families do not care about financial compensation. "We are all after justice and the death penalty for former president Mubarak, El-Adli, and his assistants," said Ouf. Similarly, the mother of martyr Mohamed Ismail, who was killed in the Maspero incidents on 9 October 2011, told the press: "I don't care about money or compensation. All I care about is justice." The ruling military council announced on 23 January it will grant families of those who were killed or injured during the 25 January Revolution the "25 January Medal". The families of martyrs and the injured as well as legal experts believe that investigations into the perpetrators are feeble. According to lawyer Nasser Amin, who works for the International Criminal Court, political will is lacking to penalise the perpetrators of crimes against demonstrators and accomplish justice. "Trials are neither transparent, nor speedy or just. The trial of the Mubaraks and figures of the previous regime for killing 846 protesters during the 18-day protests is just a silly farce meant to distract public opinion. They just want to waste time," says Amin. "Each time any legal expert or lawyer of any of mourning and suffering families asks about the results of investigations, we do not get an accurate answer. It is always either 'investigations are still going on and we cannot announce anything' or 'the general prosecution will announce everything to the public at the right time,'" added Amin. The truth is that nothing is really happening regarding the investigations, according to Amin, especially after the Cairo Criminal Court acquitted six police officers from Al-Sayeda Zeinab implicated in killings in front of the police station there on 28 and 29 January. "The verdict is a step towards similar verdicts being issued in cases of the killing demonstrators during the 25 January Revolution," said Amin. ACCORDING to reports issued by the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) as well as the Ministry of Health and Population, the number of those killed since the beginning of the 25 January Revolution is around 1,000 with more than 6,500 protesters injured. Some 324 lost one of their eyes or both, while 685 suffered serious injuries, leaving them disabled. Thousands have been detained and sent to military trials. 25 January-11 February: During these 18 days, 846 protesters were killed. More than 600 demonstrators were shot during the Battle of the Camel on 2 February. Some 3,000 were injured. 9 October (Maspero): Dubbed "Black Sunday," clashes at Maspero erupted between security forces and around 10,000 Copts marching from Shubra to the State TV building. Some 27 protesters were killed and at least 1,000 injured. 20-25 November (Mohamed Mahmoud Street clashes): The violent five-day clashes that erupted on Mohamed Mahmoud Street off Tahrir Square between protesters and security forces left at least 42 demonstrators dead and over 1,300 injured. 16 December (Cabinet clashes): During the army's attempt to disperse the sit-in in front of the Cabinet headquarters near Qasr El-Aini Street, Downtown Cairo, on Friday, 16 December, left 17 dead and almost 1,200 injured.
