CAIRO: Lawyer on Tuesday banded together outside the High Judiciary Court to demand the replacement of judge Ahmed Refaat from presiding over the trial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, 6 aides and Gamal and Alaa Mubarak. They argued that Refaat was “fragile and illegal” and should be removed from his position immediately. Lawyers for a number of the January 25 Revolution families who lost sons and daughters as a result of police violence called for a change to the court, including a refusal to allow civil lawyers to ask questions during the hearing and the prohibition on recording devices in the hearing. The transcript of the hearing belongs to the defendants and the victims, they argued. The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has already banned any media outlets from reporting on the testimonies inside the court and have confiscated two newspapers for attempting to report on the case. BM
