Mubarak prosecutors call for death penalty
Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is wheeled on a stretcher into the courtroom in Cairo on January 3, 2012, for the continuation of his trial. Egyptian prosecutors portrayed Mubarak as a ‘tyrannical leader’, as they made their opening arguments in his murder trial.
Prosecutors in the trial of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak called Thursday for the death penalty in response to charges that Mubarak ordered the killing of protesters in the uprising that ended his rule, the BBC reported. Mustafa Khater, a prosecutor in the trial, said "the prosecution demands the maximum penalty against Mubarak and the rest of the accused which is death by hanging," according to Al Jazeera.
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Mubarak and others from his government are accused of ordering security personnel to fire on protesters in the February 2010 popular uprising that ended his nearly 30-year rule. The prosecution also called for seven other former government officials to face the death penalty. But the BBC reported that it is unclear whether there is enough evidence to convict Mubarak of these specific accusations. A current member of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces testified that Mubarak did not order the shootings.
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The trial will resume January 9 when Mubarak's lawyers begin to present their defense.
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