Egypt: Scuffles Break Out Inside and Outside Mubarak Trial
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stood trial yesterday for the killing of protesters in the Egyptian revolution. This is the third hearing of the trial and lasted for 10 hours, with scuffles reported both inside the court (which was off limits to cameras) and outside, where Mubarak's supporters clashed with the families of martyrs. The trial was adjourned until tomorrow. Several tweeps were outside the Cairo courthouse tweeting what was happening.
Mubarak, 83, is being tried along with his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, as well as former Interior Minister Habib Al Adly, who is accused of ordering the killing of the 850 protesters killed in the 18 days of the Egyptian uprising which started on January 25.
Tweeps standing outside the court were particularly disturbed with the brutal manner in which the families of martyrs were treated by the police.
Ali Hisham shares with us this photograph of a martyr's father being dragged out of court by security officers:
Police dragging the father of a martyr from Mubarak's trial. Photo from Twitpic by Ali Hisham
والد الشهيد محمد سليمان يتم سحله على الأرض من قبل قوات ” الأمن ” خارج قاعة محاكمة المخلوع
Video journalist Farah Saafan witnessed the incident and tweeted:
@FarahSaafan: While reporting from #MubarakTrial I tweeted abt an old man dragged on the ground & beaten w/sticks http://bit.ly/oBPjtd its him! Not my pic
After witnessing more such scuffles, Farah asks:
@FarahSaafan: Does anyone know where I can buy a safety helmet? Not the motorbikes helmet, the safety helmet for work sites or that Journalists wear!
And Ahmed Al Ish advises:
@AhmdAlish: Whoever is coming to the ousted president's trial on Wednesday should first buy a plastic helmet from the industrial safety shops on Gomhoriya Street for five pounds.
Lawyer Gamal Eid, who attended the trial and runs the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), notes (Ar):
Editor and presenter Yosri Fouda sarcastically adds [ar]:
Heba Farooq reacts:
@HebaFarooq: key witnesses in Mubarak murder trial change testimony | Al-Masry Al-Youm And that's the only #change we have so far! #mubarakTrial #egypt
And Shams Karim adds:
@Shams209: Just read that lots of shoes found in the court room, I guess that's why #Mubarak is in the cage.:) ♫ #MubarakTrial
Reporters at the hearing say that lawyers threw shoes at each other during the trial.
Mubarak's trial will resume tomorrow, Wednesday (September 7). Follow reactions on Twitter on the hashtag #MubarakTrial
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
