Saturday 2 June 2012

FORMER EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT,HOSNI MUBARAK SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT


The moment the verdict was delivered
An Egyptian court has sentenced ex-President Hosni Mubarak to life in prison for complicity in the killing of protesters during last year's uprising.
The 84-year-old is the first former leader to be tried in person since the start of the Arab Spring in early 2011.
Former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly also received a life sentence over the deaths of demonstrators.
Mubarak and his two sons - Gamal and Alaa - were acquitted on separate charges of corruption.
Shouting and scuffles erupted in court after the verdict was read out.
Correspondents say some people were angry with the court's decision to acquit four senior aides to Adly, who were also widely blamed for the death of protesters.
Angry shouts

The verdicts and sentences

  • Hosni Mubarak: Guilty of conspiring in killing of protesters - life imprisonment; not guilty of corruption
  • Alaa and Gamal Mubarak: Not guilty of corruption
  • Former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly: Guilty of conspiring in killing of protesters - life imprisonment
  • Four aides of al-Adly: Not guilty of charges of complicity, instigation and providing assistance in the murder and attempted murder of protesters
  • Hussein Salem, business tycoon: Not guilty of corruption
Outside the building, Mubarak's sentencing was greeted by celebrations from relatives of those killed, according to the BBC's Yolande Knell.
Firecrackers were set off. Soha Saeed, the wife of one of the victims, shouted: "I'm so happy. I'm so happy."
But the joy soon turned into angry shouts as the crowd learned that the former interior minister's aides had been cleared. The verdict also sparked protests in Suez.
In his preamble, Judge Ahmed Refaat insisted the 10-month trial had been a fair one.
He spoke of the Mubarak era as "30 years of darkness" and praised what he called "the sons of the nation who rose up peacefully for freedom and justice".
Announcing the verdicts, the judge then said Mubarak and Adly had failed to stop security forces using deadly force against unarmed demonstrators.
Mubarak, who ruled the country from 1981 to 2011, had faced a possible death sentence over the killing of about 850 protesters.
Egypt's state TV said Mubarak was set to be moved to the hospital of Tora prison, near Cairo, where a number of figures from the former government are serving jail sentences for corruption.
Since his trial began last August, Mubarak has been held in the International Medical Centre outside the capital, as his lawyer said he was in poor health.
Despite their acquittal, Alaa and Gamal Mubarak are to remain in detention.
On Wednesday, prosecutors said they would go on trial with seven others on charges of stock market manipulation.
The first leader toppled during the Arab Spring was Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia, who was found guilty in absentia of drugs and gun charges in July.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed by rebels in October. Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh received immunity from prosecution after handing over power in November.
Are you in Egypt? What are your thoughts on ex-President Hosni Mubarak's life sentence? If you are willing to be interviewed by the BBC please fill in the form below.
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
culled BBC

No comments:

Post a Comment