Alexandria Court to Hear Witnesses in Last 25 January Murder Trial

An Alexandria criminal court on Saturday will hear the witnesses in a trial against police officials charged with murdering protesters in the 25 January 2011 revolution.

The trial is the last remaining on protesters killed in the 2011 uprising. The majority of verdicts in similar cases have so far acquitted the officials accused.

The court was set to determine a verdict early January in the case. However, the prosecution presented 21 more suspects and requested new hearings.

Defendants face charges of killing 83 protesters and injuring hundreds during the 25 January revolution.

The initial six suspects in the case included Alexandria’s former head of the security directorate, Mohamed Ibrahim, former head of Alexandria’s Central Security Forces, Adel El-Lakany, and former chief of investigations in Alexandria’s Raml district, Wael El-Komy.

The prosecution has accused Ibrahim and El-Lakany of inciting police and security personnel to shoot peaceful protesters with live ammunition and birdshot, as well as to terrify and disperse other protesters.

The defense has argued that the evidence provided by the prosecution is circumstantial.

The trial moved to Cairo after repeated clashes between the police and the families of those killed, which led to the torching of the Alexandria court and the recusal of the first panel of judges.

Source: Al-Ahram Online