Egypt protesters demand Mubarak trial

08/04/2011| IslamWeb

About 3,000 Egyptians have gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square, demanding prosecution of ousted president Hosni Mubarak and his regime.

The crowd chanted "The people want to try the deposed president" and more protesters were expected to arrive in the square after Friday prayers.

Activists have dubbed the rally "Day of Trial and Cleansing" to pressure the ruling military council to deliver on promised reforms and bring to justice former regime members.

Protests have been held regularly since Mubarak was toppled on February 11 but the numbers are expected to swell this week after the Muslim Brotherhood - the largest and most organized opposition movement - said it would join Friday's rally.

"Unlike on previous occasions recently, this is a fully representative gathering of Egypt's political movements, including the very powerful Muslim Brotherhood which had stayed away from recent gathering saying they would give the military council more time to meet the people's demands," Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna, reporting from the square, said.

"The demands are being made here very clearly, that action needs to be taken against Mubarak and those close to him, that there must be a presidential council established so that the people can express what they want to see as Egypt's future."

Several former ministers and members of Mubarak's National Democratic Party are being investigated as part of a sweeping probe into corruption, but pro-democracy activists say key figures still need to be brought to justice.

Former presidential chief of staff Zakariya Azmi was arrested on Thursday, accused of using his powerful position to amass a fortune. He was the highest ranking ex-official to be jailed since Mubarak was toppled on February 11 after 18 days of mass protests.

Many Egyptians consider the prosecutions one of their revolution's key achievements.

Following Mubarak's ouster, state prosecutors arrested three high-ranking officials: interior minister Habib el-Adly, housing minister Ahmed Maghrabi, and tourism minister Zuheir Garana.

Mubarak is under house arrest in the Red Sea resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh.

PHOTO CAPTION

Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak addresses the nation in this file still image taken from video February 10, 2011.

 

Al-Jazeera