Category Archives: Egypt

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been ordered back to prison from military hospital. Mr Mubarak’s retrial will open on 11 May, a Cairo appeals court says. He is charged alongside his former interior minister and six former security chiefs with complicity in the murder and attempted murder of hundreds of protesters in January 2011. The retrial was meant to begin on 13 April but collapsed when the presiding judge withdrew from the case. AFP news agency quotes judicial sources as saying that Judge Mahmud al-Rashidi will preside over the case at the North Cairo Criminal Court. Mr Mubarak will also face a retrial or corruption charges, along with his … Continue reading →

An Egyptian court is deciding whether or not ex-President Hosni Mubarak should be released. The former leader is awaiting a retrial for conspiring to kill protesters during the revolution that toppled him. Reports that the court had ruled he should remain in custody on other charges have not been confirmed. Mr Mubarak’s lawyer argues he has spent the maximum time in prison under temporary detention, Egyptian media report. But he remains in custody on fraud charges. Last June, Mr Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison for killings committed during the 2011 uprising that ended his rule, but in January a retrial was ordered. There were chaotic scenes on Saturday … Continue reading →

A report leaked to a British newspaper appears to show that the Egyptian army participated in torture and killings during the 2011 revolution. The report was submitted to President Mohammed Morsi earlier this year. Egypt’s armed forces had declared their neutrality during the uprising, with the police blamed for much of the bloodshed. Hundreds were killed and many more are unaccounted for following attempts to violently suppress the uprising. The document leaked to the Guardian newspaper clearly implicates the armed forces in serious violations of human rights during Egypt’s 18-day revolution that led to the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, says the BBC’s Aleem Maqbool in Cairo. It contains testimony relating … Continue reading →

Two people were killed and at least 15 injured Saturday in Cairo, officials said, as Egyptians in two rival cities took to the streets to vent their anger over court verdicts in a controversial case involving deadly riots at a soccer game. Health Ministry spokesman Ahmed Osman said two protesters had been killed in violence outside the Semiramis Intercontinental hotel in downtown Cairo. Five others have been injured in the clashes by the hotel, he said. Another 10 are suffering smoke inhalation after a fire gutted the three-story building housing the Egyptian Football Association in a wealthy Cairo neighborhood, as soccer fans looked on. Next door, an exclusive club for … Continue reading →

Egyptian opposition supporters are protesting across the country on the second anniversary of the uprising that swept Hosni Mubarak from power. Police clashed with President Mohammed Morsi’s opponents in Cairo, dispersing protesters outside his palace as thousands gathered in Tahrir Square. Alexandria and Suez also saw clashes. In Ismailia, protesters set fire to the HQ of the Muslim Brotherhood’s party. Critics accuse Mr Morsi of betraying the revolution, which he denies. The president has appealed for calm to end the clashes, in which more than 100 people have been injured nationwide since Thursday. On Friday, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters who had tried to cross barbed-wire barriers outside … Continue reading →

A court in Egypt has ordered a retrial for ex-President Hosni Mubarak after accepting an appeal against his life sentence over the deaths of protesters. Mubarak, 84, was overthrown in 2011 after mass street protests, and jailed in June. About 850 people were killed in a crackdown by security forces. The ex-leader, who remains in custody, will also be retried on corruption charges for which he was acquitted. Former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly will also be retried on the same charges. But Mubarak’s sons, Gamal and Alaa and fugitive businessman Hussein Salem have had their acquittals on corruption charges overturned and will be retried. No specific reason was given for Sunday’s … Continue reading →

Egypt’s new public prosecutor has resigned from his post after protests about his appointment, reports say. Talaat Ibrahim was appointed by President Mohamed Morsi last month after his predecessor was sacked. The move prompted anger among members of the judiciary who saw the sacking of Abdel Maguid Mahmoud as an attack on their independence. Judges and officials had demonstrated outside Mr Ibrahim’s office on Monday, calling on him to stand down. Security forces prevented a group of the protesters from going into the office to demand a meeting, state-owned al-Ahram newspaper said. Mr Ibrahim had been given the job of re-examining all investigations into the deaths of protesters when Mr … Continue reading →

Supporters and opponents of Egypt’s president are staging final rallies ahead of a referendum on a draft constitution, due to start early today (Saturday). Opponents say the draft document has been crafted poorly and without proper consultation, and is too Islamist. President Mohammed Morsi insists the constitution is needed to complete the transition from Hosni Mubarak’s rule. The controversy has sparked unrest across Egypt and fresh clashes have broken out in Alexandria. As the start of the referendum nears, security is tight, with tens of thousands of police and troops deployed to keep order. President Morsi has also given the army the power to arrest civilians, raising fears that Egypt is moving … Continue reading →