President Mubarak held power over Egypt for 30 years. The
revolution that took place in several cities in Egypt took Mubarak out of
office and later made Morsi the new president. During this revolution, many
nonviolent protesters were killed, and Mubarak faced a trial in which he was
charged over these killings. Mubarak appealed to these charges and on April 13th
his appeal was granted, “technically freeing him in the case involving the
killing of nonviolent protesters.” Nonetheless, Mubarak was to
remain behind
bars due to new charges that we added to the other allegations. |
| Mubarak waving at his supporters during trial |
The retrial that was to take place on Saturday “was delayed
after the judge recused himself and walked out, leaving the court without
leadership.” The court requires that a new judge must be found within the next
60 days. The reasons behind the judge’s recusing were to health reasons, as
stated by Mubarak’s lawyer. Needless to say, relatives of the victims that died
during the revolution were outraged. One of the victims explains, "the government
is not giving us the moral support we need, and they're allowing this circus of
a trial to continue. We were hoping for a death sentence, but the way it's
going, we may see Mubarak free, and his sons free, which means my brother died
for nothing.”
Mubarak’s trials are of extreme importance, not only to the
relatives of those who died, but also to the international community. Many
human rights crimes were committed during these event and need to be punished
with the weight of justice. The delays occurring during Mubarak’s trials are
antagonizing those who opposed his regime and are making the situation prolong.
These issues could proliferate the conflict trap theory that seems to be
happening in Egypt. Although, president Morsi is the new leader of Egypt, a
large control from the military can still be felt and the sense of clear
victory is lost. If the trials continue to prolong, the people affected might
take matters into their hands and oppose to the current court system.
What needs to be done by policymakers in this process is to
move quickly and find a judge replacement. It is imperative to provide
information to citizens of all the steps that are taking place leading to
Mubarak’s trial. In order to mitigate the conflict, the government has to show
that the situation has not stagnated and it is in the process of coming to its
end.
- Brumfield, Ben, Reza Sayah, and Journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy. "Egypt's Mubarak Wins Petition but Will Stay Detained." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
The relatives of the victims are deeply concerned that Mubarak will be found innocent. If he is indeed found innocent, the government will lose a sense of legitimacy in the eye of the people, because they will feel that the government is not supporting the people. This trial is a symbol for the future of the government and whether or not they will be successful in the future.
ReplyDeleteI agree that policy makers need to make a quick decision. This issue has become a concern with both the international community as well as the families of the protestors, thus there is a lot of attention focused on an outcome for the trial. If the government stalls, the possibility of the government losing legitimacy that Kelsey has mentioned will become a problem.
ReplyDeleteThe government has already gained some legitimacy from the international community by having a trial for Mubarak instead of executing him like the Libyans did to Gaddafi. I agree that the government should not stall this trial in order to maintain their legitimacy.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the government needs to keep the trial moving in order to retain the small amount of legitimacy that the new Egyptian government has garnered from things like holding free and fair elections. If Mubarak's trail were to be thrown out on some technicality then I'm sure the Egyptian citizens would express their outrage and demand answers from the government, thereby detracting from its level of legitimacy.
ReplyDeleteI think that this trial is important to legitimize the new regime in the eyes of the people, but a revolution only makes bureaucratic more of a nightmare. I understand people's anxiousness to have Mubarak tried, but it is more important that he is tried properly, especially if people desire specific outcomes. A hasty trial isn't necessarily going to give the people what they want. He has already been acquitted of other charges, so it should be more important to the international community and the people of Egypt that he is tried properly to ensure he is found guilty of the crimes he committed.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find incredibly interesting, but also frightening, is how many supporters of Mubarak's still exist, who feel that his trial is unjustified and that he did not commit any of the atrocious human right crimes he has been accused of. I agree with everyone else about the importance of this trial in legitimizing the power and stronghold of the new Egyptian government. Whatever unfolds will speak volumes to the international community, as well as to the people of Egypt, regarding the new government's legitimacy. One positive note is the court's recent denial of his appeal for release, given the charges of illicit gains.
ReplyDelete