Mubarak Back In Court For Retrial Over Killing Of Protesters

Egypt’s ailing ex-president Hosni Mubarak has returned to court on charges of complicity in the deaths of protesters in 2011, with former officials to be questioned over his alleged role.

The 85-year-old former strongman, wearing his trademark sunglasses, was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair from a military hospital where he is being detained.

It was the seventh hearing in the retrial of Mubarak and his security commanders over the killings of hundreds of protesters during the 2011 uprising that overthrew him.

Mubarak was placed under house arrest last month after his lawyer successfully argued that his detention had gone on too long.

A court had convicted and sentenced him to life in prison in June last year for complicity in the deaths of protesters, but a retrial was ordered in January after he appealed.

Lawyers for Mubarak, his interior minister and six security commanders now argue that much of the killing during the uprising was carried out by Islamists linked to Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood.

They demanded the testimony of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general who overthrew Morsi and who had served as Mubarak’s military intelligence chief.

The court on Saturday summoned a former head of General Intelligence Services, Murad Muwafi, army general Hassan al-Ruwaini and two other former security commanders.

They will testify in camera for “national security” reasons, the court said.

The court adjourned the trial to October 19, when it will begin hearing to their testimony.

Mubarak faces an array of charges, including complicity in the deaths of some of the 850 people killed during the 18-day uprising that ended his 30-year reign.

Since his first court appearance in August 2011, Mubarak has been treated for a range of ailments including a heart condition and depression.

His lawyer Farid al-Deeb recently told AFP that Mubarak’s health had improved considerably.