The defense of Ahmed Ramzy, former head of the Central Security Forces who is accused of killing protesters during the 25 January revolution, continued Thursday as his lawyers continued to dispute evidence and arguments presented by the prosecution. Ramzy, along with former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, Mubarak, and five other top security officers, faces charges of ordering security forces to kill protesters. The former president, his sons and businessman Hussein Salem also face corruption charges. Ramzy headed CSF during last year's 18-day uprising, during which an estimated 846 protesters were killed and thousands were wounded. Videos show Central Security trucks running over protesters, particularly on Qasr al-Nil Bridge, which leads to the square. Lawyer Ashraf Ramadan, a member of Ramzy's defense team, told Cairo Criminal Court that his client is innocent of all the charges brought against him. Ramadan said the prosecution's evidence is worthless because it is unfair, insufficient and does not allow the court to discern what actually occurred. He added that the indictment articles do not apply to the case because it is out of the scope of indictment because the circumstances were fit for the use of force to practice the duty in exigent circumstances and self-defense. He also said that the prosecution has not given definitive proof that the defendants took part in killing demonstrators. Instead, he claimed, the prosecution brought the defendants to trial because of external pressure from revolutionaries and the general public, and that prosecutors had not searched for the real perpetrators. Ramadan cited medical reports stating that some deaths that occurred on 29 January were due to wounds from bladed weapons. He speculated that these deaths were the result of quarrels among protesters that did not involve security forces or the defendants. He also cited eyewitness testimony that security forces were armed only with shields, batons and tear gas canisters, not firearms. Ramzy's defense will continue when the trial resumes on Sunday.
