The sentencing of Egypt’s former leader could scarcely come at a more delicate juncture for a country convulsed by factionalism and in the midst of a divisive electoral process.
Seven thousand security personnel are expected to ring the police academy in the Cairo suburbs where the court hearing the Mubarak trial was set up last year. The streets outside have often been the scene of clashes between the ousted dictator’s supporters and opponents.
Most of the rest of the country will watch the proceedings live on state television today from 10am, aware that the “wrong” verdict could provoke violence, and shape a presidential election distilled to two contenders — Mubarak’s last prime minister, Ahmed Shafik, and Mohammed Morsi of the Islamic Botherhood. The vote will be on June 16 and 17.
Mr Mubarak’s acquittal would almost certainly lead to renewed rioting and protests from those who fought so hard last year to topple him. But if found complicit in the killing of hundreds of peaceful protesters he could face the death penalty, which will be signalled by the judge’s referral of sentencing to the Grand Mufti. The court has found that, as head of state, he bore responsibility for the deaths, but has not heard evidence that he gave the order for police to open fire.
He also faces other bribery and corruption charges, including one that he and his sons, Gamal, 48, and Alaa, 50, who are also on trial, accepted five villas in return for the sale of state land to Hussein Salam, 75, a businessman who is fighting extradition in Spain.
Advertisement
Most legal experts expect the judge to hand down a jail sentence to Mr Mubarak, 85, who once bestrode the international stage and ruled without compromise over a nation of 90 million people, but is now reduced to appearing in court on a hospital trolley. He and his co-defendants, the former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, and four of his aides, could all end up in Tora prison, where they once incarcerated opponents such as Mr Morsi.