Mubarak trial adjourned to December

The trial of Egypt’s ousted leader Hosni Mubarak, accused of complicity in the killing of more than 800 protesters this year, has been adjourned until December 28.

Mr Mubarak’s trial began nearly three months ago and the lengthy adjournment was certain to frustrate leaders of the anti-Mubarak protest movement who want to see the former leader and his co-defendants – his two sons, security chief and six top police officers – brought swiftly to justice.

Mr Mubarak stepped down in February after a popular uprising. Reformers are frustrated by what they see as the slow progress by Egypt’s military rulers to liberalise the system.

The adjournment was meant to allow time for another court to rule on a request by lawyers for the victims to remove the three-judge panel in Mr Mubarak’s trial. That ruling is expected on November 3.

Mr Mubarak, his two sons, former security chief and the six police officers sat in the defendants’ cage for yesterday’s 10-minute hearing. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. Mr Mubarak and his sons also face corruption charges.

An 18-day uprising forced Mr Mubarak to step down on February 11.

Meanwhile two prominent activists were summoned for questioning by military prosecutors for their alleged role in the incitement of clashes this month in which 27 people, most of them Christians, were killed and hundreds wounded.

The two refused to answer the prosecutors’ questions on grounds that the military was involved in the violence and therefore could not be impartial, according to human rights lawyer Gamal Eid.

Alaa Abdel-Fattah was ordered to be held in custody for 15 days, while Bahaa Saber was released.

The two are suspected of inciting the violence and of damaging military property.

The questioning of the two set social networks abuzz with comments by activists denouncing the move and calling for the ousting of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the body of top military officers that took over from Mr Mubarak.

The October 9 violence was the deadliest since the military took over and was a stark contrast to the idealistic sense of Muslim-Christian unity that flourished during the anti-Mubarak uprising.

It began when thousands of Christians demonstrated outside the state television building in Cairo, protesting an attack on a church in southern Egypt. Army troops waded in and armoured personnel carriers barrelled through the crowds. Some of the dead were crushed by army vehicles or shot to death, according to video from the scene. State media said three soldiers were among the dead.

The military tried to exonerate itself, blaming the Christians and “hidden hands” for starting the violence, denying its troops shot protesters or intentionally ran them over. Witnesses said soldiers started the melee. Videos showing soldiers beating and shooting into crowds and armoured vehicles seeming to chase protesters cast doubt on the military’s account.

Abdel-Fattah and Saber were the latest in a long list of bloggers, journalists and activists who have been questioned by the military or faced military tribunals. The referral of civilians to military trials – at least 12,000 since February – is at the heart of tension between the military and the youth groups behind Mr Mubarak’s ousting.

The military is also accused by the groups of mishandling the transition period and acting too slowly in dismantling the elements of Mr Mubarak’s 29-year regime. The military insists that it plans to hand over power to an elected civilian government and that its concern for the country’s security is the reason for its use of military courts to try civilians.