CAIRO: The trial of former interior minister Habib El-Adly and six security chiefs for their involvement in killing protesters was adjourned to Aug. 14 to allow the defense team to examine the evidence. The court set a period from Aug. 6 to Aug. 11 for lawyers to examine the evidence at the High Court. Civil society lawyers were also permitted to examine the evidence. “This is actually an obligation on the court's [part] whether the defense lawyers request it or not,” Atef El-Minawy, lawyer representing Ismail Al-Shaer, former director of the Cairo Security Directorate, told Daily News Egypt. “If the court doesn't do that, its verdict is considered invalid,” he added. Only one lawyer representing each defendant will be allowed to review the evidence, according to the court. The court also ordered the Ministry of Interior to present an official list of the number of officers and employees under the jurisdiction of Adly Fayed, defendant and former first assistant of the ex-interior minister, when he resumed his post. Judge Ahmed Refaat said the court will give defense and civil society lawyers a CD containing case documents for both El-Adly and ousted president Hosni Mubarak. As the trial aired live on TV, the judge went through the evidence which included four videotapes from Egyptian intelligence; four weapons; paper documents from Central Security's operation room detailing its plan in facing protesters and the weapons used; CDs of the pictures of injured protesters; and documents from the general prosecution's international cooperation office. The evidence also included a jacket and trousers filled with bullet holes, belonging to victim Ahmed Hazem, and a medium-sized metal plate damaged from gunshots, in addition to live and rubber bullet shells and pellets retrieved during the Jan. 25 revolt. The judge repeatedly ordered the lawyers to quiet down and stop interrupting him. One lawyer claimed that a group of 34 lawyers, representing one of the defendants, were prevented from entering the courtroom. Another lawyer claimed that 40 civil society lawyers were prevented from attending the trial. The judge asked them to register their names and complaints. Civil society lawyer Mohamed Safi El-Din said that despite these “mild” problems, the trial has been going “very well” so far. The area outside the Police Academy, where the trial is being held, was much calmer on Thursday than the previous day when Mubarak's trial began. Around 40 people gathered in the yard outside the academy to watch the trial, including journalists who were not authorized to attend the session. A screen was set up outside to air the trial under the scorching heat. “Watching this trial is like watching a TV series,” Sayed Abdel Hamid, 46, told DNE. “The last episode will determine whether the whole series was a waste of time or not,” he added. A youth-led uprising in Egypt that started on Jan. 25 and continued for 18 days led to the ouster of president Mubarak. Violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators during the first few days left at least 846 dead and over 6,000 injured, according to an official fact-finding mission. El-Adly and six security chiefs had their trial added to Mubarak's last month. The first session of the joint trials was held on Aug. 3. Mubarak's was adjourned to Aug. 15. On May 5, El-Adly was sentenced to 12 years in prison for money laundering and unlawful acquisition of public funds, the first convicted official of Mubarak's former regime. Outside the academy on Thursday, Mohamed Attia, 54, was watching the hearing on the screen. The trial has comforted the people and retrieved their trust in the judiciary. “We have more hope that the trial will be just now, but it's not over yet,” he said.
