The trial of former President Hosni Mubarak, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, and six former security officials was adjourned to Monday by Cairo Criminal Court on Sunday. On Monday, the court will hear the defense of Adly Fayed, assistant to the former interior minister. All the defendants are charged with involvement in the murder of pro-democracy protesters during the January 2011 uprising that forced Mubarak to resign. Earlier this January, the court had heard the defense lawyers of Mubarak and Adly. During the Sunday session, Gameel Saeed, a lawyer representing former commander of the Central Security Forces, Ahmed Ramzy, said documents submitted by prosecutors prove his client's innocence from charges of murder either by involvement or instigation. Saeed said testimonies by police officers confirm that Ramzy did not give orders to use automatic weapons or shotgun cartridges during the protests. He cited the prosecutor's petition against Ramzy, which accused him of "participation with others in the killing of protesters in several locations." According to Saeed, those locations include Sayeda Zeinab Square, and because officers have recently been exonerated of murder in that square, Ramzy must equally be innocent. He also said the prosecutors did not include Ramzy when they referred Alexandria security officials to trial on the same charges. Saeed also claimed that police witnesses gave their testimonies under pressure from interrogators. During the session, Nasser al-Asqalani, one of the plaintiffs' lawyers, demanded a report from the Forensic Medicine Authority on Mubarak's health. Mubarak has been in custody at the International Medical Center on the Cairo-Ismailia road due to his allegedly deteriorating health. Asqalani demanded the toppled president be transferred to Tora prison, where other former regime figures are detained. He also demanded the court also charge Osama al-Marasi and Omar al-Faramawi — both former security officials recently released by the court — in the case, warning that the pair are in contact with the rest of the defendants, which he said compromises the case and endangers public safety. Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
