CAIRO: Former Egyptian Interior Minister Habib al-Adly filed an appeal in front of the High Administrative Court, contesting the court's decision to fine him 300 million EGP (U.S. $50.4 million) in compensation for cutting off mobile phone and Internet service during the January 25 revolution. Al-Adly claims to have cut communications on the orders of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, adding that the 2003 Communications Law authorized the action. The demonstrations during the revolution jeopardized Egyptian national security, prompting the decision to cut services, al-Adly added, and communications were restored once the demonstrations were found to be peaceful. The Egyptian Administrative Court ruled that the communications disruption during the revolution caused by the former president, prime minister and interior minister resulted in significant economic losses, and thus ordered the officials to pay 540 million EGP (U.S. $90.6 million) in compensation.
