CAIRO: Lawyers defending ousted President Hosni Mubarak will make their final statements in court next Wednesday when the presiding judge will set a date to announce his verdict on charges which include killing protestors and abusing power. The 83-year-old former president, his former interior minister and senior police officers are facing a number of charges including involvement in the deaths of hundreds of protesters. Mubarak and his two sons are also charged with corruption during office. Judge Ahmed Refaat told the court on Thursday the final session in the case would be next week and all lawyers would have to submit any last statements in writing. In the session, defendants will be given the opportunity to make their final statements. According to procedural law, Judge Refaat will announce on Wednesday the date for a court session to read out the verdict. A light sentence for Mubarak in connection with the death of protesters could fuel more popular rage and lead to further demonstrations. The prosecution and lawyers representing the families of those killed in the 18-day-uprising last February against Mubarak's rule will present their final comments in a session on Monday. More than 850 people were killed in the uprising that unseated Mubarak. The charges in the case focus on 225 victims, who were killed in public squares and not near police stations.
