CAIRO: Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, on trial for ordering the killing of protesters in January and February 2011, claimed in a letter published by a local newspaper that he is “innocent” of all charges. In the letter, published by Tahrir Newspaper on Thursday, Mubarak said he was saddened by what he described as “baseless” claims against him and said he was confident that the court would clear his name of all criminal activity. Mubarak's remarks were made in a letter, a day after the former president's defense lawyers delivered their closing remarks in a 7-month trial that has transfixed the nation. Wednesday marked the final day in the trial of former Egypt President Hosni Mubarak, his Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, his two sons and an assortment of other top officials from the former Egyptian regime ousted in February last year following a popular uprising against their rule. The men are being tried for the killing of peaceful demonstrators during the January 25 uprisings that led to the ouster of the former regime. Activists and families of the victims of the uprising have demanded justice, telling Bikyamasr.com from the court they “expect Mubarak to face the same fate as our loved ones for what he did to this country.” Mubarak's two sons, Gamal and Alaa, are also on trial for financial corruption and are accused of using their positions as the president's sons to seal illegal deals, raising the family's fortune to tens of millions of dollars. The trial, which began last August, has dragged on for months, with postponements and posturing on both the prosecution and defense teams' part. The prosecution has called for Mubarak to be executed for his crimes, but current Egypt law says that Mubarak, 83, is too old to be put to death. Farid al-Deeb, the lead lawyer for the 83-year-old former leader, has praised Mubarak throughout, and told the court they could not convict the man activists and families of those killed in January and February last year say is responsible for their deaths. “It is like saying the commander of a military doesn't hold responsibility when his soldiers kill people,” said Ahmed, a brother of one of those killed in the uprising. He told Bikyamasr.com that “for the lawyers to say there is no evidence is to say he wasn't in control of the country. If that is the case, then who was running things?” Some 1,000 people were killed in the massive street protests that began on January 25, 2011, and lasted until February 11, when then-Vice-President Omar Suleiman announced Mubarak was stepping down as president and the military was taking power. Though buzz over Mubarak's potential sentencing continues, Egyptian law solidifies this impossibility, mandating that seniors over the age of 80 can only receive a maximum sentencing of 15 years in prison. Likewise, Egyptian law allows the state's executive authority to repeal any death penalty sentencing within 14 days. With the boundaries of executive power blurred by Egypt's interim ruling Military Council, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) could also harness the power to overturn the court's pending decision. Mubarak, who is reportedly suffering from severe depression, has repeatedly been flown in a private jet to the court from his private, highly secured medical wing at the International Medical Center, where he is being treated instead of the prison hospital, whose defense claim is not ready for his “condition.” The committee assigned by the attorney general to assess Mubarak's condition recommended that he stay at the same place, “as he could be in danger of a stroke or a heart attack” if he is to be moved. The army and police are cooperating in securing the trial in unprecedented security measures to make sure Mubarak is safe. Mubarak was positioning his son Gamal to succeed him in ruling the country, fueling public anger and protests over the past 7 years in opposition to the alleged power transfer plan. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/DA4qX Tags: featured, Innocent, Mubarak, Tahrir, Trial Section: Egypt, Latest News
