CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian official says the top prosecutor will appeal
the verdict in Hosni Mubarak's trial, which acquitted the former leader and his two sons on corruption charges and cleared senior police officers of complicity in killing protesters during last year's uprising.
The prosecutor must appeal the entire verdict, which also included convictions and life sentences for Mubarak and his former security chief for failing to stop the killing of protesters in the uprising that ousted him.
Six top police commanders, who faced the same charge of complicity in killing protesters, were acquitted for what the judge said was lack of concrete evidence.
The official spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.
Source: AP, June 3, 2012
Anger boils in Egypt as Mubarak avoids death penalty and security chiefs walk free
Thousands of angry protesters across Egypt took to the streets on Saturday after ex-president Hosni Mubarak and his security chief were given life in prison over the deaths of protesters in 2011 but six police chiefs were acquitted.
Mubarak, the only autocrat toppled in the Arab Spring to be put in the dock, could have been sent to the gallows as demanded by the prosecution.
Both the toppled dictator's defence team and lawyers representing his victims said the verdict could easily be appealed.
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Source: Sydney Morning Herald, June 3, 2012
Egyptians occupy Tahrir Square to protest 'lenient' life sentence
Many protesters have spent the night on Cairo's Tahrir Square. They were angered by what they see as the lenient sentencing of former President Hosni Mubarak for more than 800 deaths.
Demonstrators remained in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Sunday to protest against what they see as the insufficient sentences handed down to former President Hosni Mubarak and other senior officials on Saturday. Large protests were also reported in the cities of Alexandria and Suez.
What may have angered the demonstrators the most is the fact that no single person was held responsible for the killings, which came during a violent crackdown in the early days of the 18-day uprising. However, many were also angered by the fact that the 84-year-old former leader was spared the death penalty.
The prosecutor general said on Sunday an appeal had been lodged against the verdicts.
The court's decision came at a sensitive political time for Egypt, just a fortnight ahead of the second round of the country's presidential election. A number of leading politicians turned up at Tahrir Square, including Mohammed Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned during the Mubarak years.
Earlier on Saturday, Morsi, who is one of two candidates in the June 16-17 presidential run-off, released a statement saying nothing less than the death penalty was acceptable punishment for Mubarak.
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Source: Deutsche Welle, June 3, 2012
