After 3-month break, Mubarak trial resumes

The trial of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak resumed Wednesday with the 83-year-old wheeled in on a hospital gurney. Ayman Mohyeldin joins MSNBC live from Cairo, Egypt.

By Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News
CAIRO -- The trial of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, his two sons, the former minister of interior and six senior security officials resumed in a Cairo court on Wednesday after nearly a?three-month recess.

Egyptian TV showed 83-year-old Mubarak, covered by a green blanket and lying on a hospital gurney as he was brought from a helicopter and taken to an ambulance for the short ride to the courthouse.

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The men are all facing murder charges for ordering security forces to kill demonstrators while trying to suppress an 18-day popular uprising against the 30-year rule of Mubarak that began on Jan 25, 2011.

The trial was in recess for close to three months because a separate petition had been filed to replace the presiding judge. That petition was not granted and the same judge will continue to preside over the trial.

On Wednesday, defense attorneys asked the judge to call senior members of the intelligence services and other branches of Egypt's Armed Forces who were serving during the revolution and since then to testify.

The defense is arguing the security forces were acting within the law to contain the uprising but were never given specific orders to "kill" demonstrators.

Nile TV via AFP - Getty Images

A still image taken from Egypt's Nile TV shows Hosni Mubarak being wheeled on a hospital stretcher into court for the resumption of his trial on Wednesday.

So far, the most critical testimony of the trial has come from Field Marshall Mohammed Hussien Tantawi, the Commander of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the ruling military council. His testimony has been sealed for security reasons. The defense has also requested the judge hear the testimony of SCAF second-in-command Field Marshall Sami Annan, Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces.

The defense believes the two men and other senior officials will testify that they were never given orders by the former president to kill protestors.

The trial has been adjourned until Monday, Jan.?2.

Journalist are allowed to attend the trial under very strict rules as to what they can publish. Egyptian State TV, which was originally allowed to broadcast the trial, has since been barred from broadcasting the trial live.

Revolutionary groups have had a long-standing demand that Mubarak and his aides stand trial for the killing of protestors. The delay in the start of trial and it's lack of transparency has led many to criticize the SCAF that it was?never serious about bringing the former president to justice.

Source: http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/28/9765436-after-3-month-recess-mubarak-trial-resumes-in-cairo

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