Toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, charged with the killing of protesters and abuse of power, on Wednesday entered the courtroom on a hospital trolley as his trial resumed after a delay of almost two months. Also appeared in the courtroom, Mubarak's two sons, Alaa and Gamal, fugitive businessman Hussein Salem, Habib el-Adli the former interior minister and other aides.
"The court has responded to all the defendants' lawyers requests,” said lawyer Khaled Abu Bakr, who represents families of the victims, who died in the uprising. “Egypt has guaranteed for Mubarak a very fair trial, the judge has ensured that all the basics of justice are there ... no one should object the final verdict,” he added.
According to press reports, the lawyers of the victims' families said the court didn't set a date for the testimony of General Sami Annan, the Egyptian Chief of Staff. In the past, the lawyers asked that Annan, the current deputy head of the ruling military council, give testimony, and also Major General Naguib Mohamed Abdel Salam, former commander of the Republican Guard. According to Reuters, Abdel Salam was ordered by Mubarak on January 28 to send Republican Guard soldiers to surround the state television building in Cairo, said Mohamed Gendi, lawyer for Ismail Sha'er who headed the state security services and is one of those on trial. “We request to know what orders Major General Abdel Salam received from Mubarak. Were the orders to use force with protesters or just to protect the TV state building?” asked Gendi.
The lawyers also asked for the former head of the National Security Authority, Mostafa Abdel Nabi, and Major General Hamdi Badeen, head of the military police, to appear as witnesses.
The judges decided to postpone the trial to next Monday.
