Mubarak denies all charges during trial in Cairo
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Xinhua, August 3, 2011
Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak denied all charges against him during a trial held on Wednesday in Cairo's Police Academy.
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Supporters of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak attend a rally outside the Police Academy in Egypt's capital city of Cairo, Aug. 3, 2011. [Xinhua] |
Mubarak, who was transferred to Cairo early Wednesday morning from the Red Sea resort Sharm El-Sheikh, appeared on a stretcher in the dock.
He stood trial with his two sons who held the holly book Quran to protect themselves from TV shoots, ex-interior minister Habib Adli and six police officers. The businessman Hussein Salem was tried in absentia.
The defendants were accused of misusing of national funds, exporting gas to Israel at a very low price and ordering the killing of protesters. However, Mubarak and his two sons denied all charges against them.
The trial began at around 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) and was broadcasted by state TV.
Clashes occurred outside the trial venue between Mubarak's supporters and protesters, who came to the trial site at 3 a.m. ( 0100 GMT) and later threw rocks at each other.
Police have put barriers to separate the two groups, trying to calm down the crowds after the trial began.
Mubarak, 83, was forced to step down in February after 18 days of popular protest. A military council took over power later and promised to hold parliamentary and presidential elections.
El-Adli's lawyers asked for recalling Interior Minister Mansour Essawy for testimony in the case of killing protesters. They also called for the attendance of all witnesses and checking up the places where the protesters were killed.
Mubarak's lawyer also asked for a permission of photocopying the 43-page document which questioned the former president, as well as the testimony of those who were in power when the nationwide demonstrations broke out, including Chief of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Hussein Tantawi.
He also appealed to the court panel to consider his previous request for a permission to allow Mubarak's German doctor to follow his health conditions.
After several hours of debate, the trial of Mubarak and his two sons was adjourned until Aug. 15, Judge Ahmed Refaat announced, adding that Mubarak would stay in a hospital inside the Police Academy complex until then.
