defendants accused in revolution's Battle of Camel acquitted

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defendants accused in revolution's Battle of Camel acquitted

Post by DJKeefy »

Mubarak officials, all defendants accused in revolution's Battle of Camel acquitted.

All 25 accused of orchestrating the 2 February 2011 "Battle of the Camel" attack on Tahrir Square, have been acquitted by Cairo Criminal Court, Wednesday, a move expected to put pressure on President Mohamed Morsi who promised to punish those responsible for the deaths of protesters during last year's 18-day uprising.

Senior officials in the Hosni Mubarak administration were among those exonerated including Safwat El-Sherif, Mohamed Abul-Enin and Fathi Sorour.

Safwat El-Sherif was former secretary general of Hosni Mubarak's now defunct National Democratic Party (NDP). Mohamed Abul-Enein is a well-known business tycoon and current owner of the Ceramic Cleopatra Factories, which has recently faced numerous labor unrests. Fathi Sorour was former former parliamentary speaker for the NDP dominated People's Assembly.

In a TV interview on Tuesday, Yasser Kamal, one of the lawyers of the defendants, described the evidence submitted by the prosecution as a "legal joke," adding that there is no proof that any of the 25 accused had participated in killing protesters on that day.

Kamal described the prosecution eyewitnesses as "thugs or people tried on embezzlement charges."

Twenty-one protesters were killed and hundreds injured during the Battle of Camel, when plain-clothed assailants, some on horse and camelback, violently attacked a sit-in on the flashpoint square.

Eyewitnesses said at the time that the armed forces, that were stationed at key points around the square, did not intervene to prevent the bloodshed. Snipers were also, reportedly, deployed on the tops of surrounding buildings shooting at the demonstrators.

In July 2012, former member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Hassan El-Roweni, who was in charge of securing the square during the revolt, testified that it was not clear who the intruders were.

He claimed that he had called on Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Tahrir to evacuate armed "bearded" men from the roofs of buildings overlooking Tahrir Square, adding that they had followed his instructions.

The defendants' lawyers consequently used this testimony as proof that that the Islamist group was behind the attacks.

The Muslim Brotherhood vehemently denied the accusation.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/55290.aspx


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