Affrontement au Caire après le report d’un procès – 26 juin 2011

Crowd attacks police over Egypt trial delay

ft.com

By Heba Saleh in Cairo

June 26, 2011 8:59 pm

Relatives of Egyptians killed in the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, the former president, in February, clashed with police after a judge in Cairo ordered the postponement of the trial of Habib al-Adli, the former interior minister.

Crowds waiting outside the heavily guarded courtroom on Sunday pelted police vehicles with stones as news filtered out that the trial of Mr Adli and six of his senior aides on charges of killing protesters had been adjourned by a month.

“The people want the execution of the killer,” protesters chanted outside the criminal court, some carrying pictures of relatives killed by police during the revolt against Mr Mubarak.

Mr Adli’s trial is seen as a test of the extent of change in Egypt in the wake of the revolt. Many fear there will be no break with the past until officials responsible for human rights violations are seen to have been punished. Some families outside the courthouse on Sunday voiced fears that Mr Adli and his co-defendants would avoid conviction and were being treated deferentially because of their former positions.

Mr Adli has already been sentenced to 12 years on corruption charges, but he and his co-defendents are the most senior regime officials to go on trial for the killing of demonstrators in the 18 days of protests before Mr Mubarak was forced to step down. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. Mr Mubarak is to stand trial on similar charges in August. Read more...