Appeal seeking damages from Mubarak rejected

CAIRO – 15 May 2018: The Court of Cassation rejected Tuesday an appeal seeking compensatory damages from ousted President Hosni Mubarak over the death of protesters during the 2011 revolution.

In March 2017, Mubarak was acquitted on charges of killing protestors during the 18-day revolution.

The court’s verdict in the case known as “the trial of the century” is final, with no further potential for appeal after more than 100 sessions. Mubarak was found not guilty of killing hundreds of protestors in a 2014 retrial.

During the March session, the prosecution accused Mubarak and former Minister of Interior Habib al-Adly of providing the cars and weapons that helped security forces attack citizens.

“The victims wanted to protest the deterioration of the political and economic situation in [Mubarak’s] era,” the prosecution’s representative said, adding that police forces ran over three protestors and some children.

Mubarak denied all accusations.

Mubarak’s lead defense lawyer, Farid el-Deeb, referred to the retrial verdict that stated, “The police did not commit any crimes of murder or instigation or vehicular manslaughter.” He said it was the Muslim Brotherhood who ran over people, not the police.

Mubarak was initially sentenced to life in prison on charges of complicity in killing over 800 protestors in the events of January and February 2011. But in January 2013, the Court of Cassation ordered the retrial that resulted in Mubarak’s acquittal in November 2014, overturning the earlier ruling.

The revolution against the Egyptian government at the time started on January 25, 2011. However, some activists consider January 28 as the beginning of the change, as it marks the day when hundreds of thousands of Egyptians demonstrated in the streets against Mubarak, with clashes taking place between revolutionaries and pro-Mubarak demonstrators.