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Lawyer accuses army ruler of lying about Mubarak

09 January 2012 22:15 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A lawyer for the families of protesters killed in the uprising against Egypt’s ousted president accused the military ruler who replaced him of "giving false testimony" to the court that Hosni Mubarak gave no order to fire on protesters, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Mubarak, his two sons, the former interior minister and senior police officers face charges ranging from corruption to involvement in the deaths of around 850 protesters during the uprising that unseated him last February.

Lawyer Amir Salem requested that Judge Ahmed Refaat "order the prosecutors to file a charge of giving false testimony to Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi."

He demanded the same charge be filed against ex-vice president and former spy chief Omar Suleiman, as Mubarak watched proceedings from a stretcher in the Cairo courthouse after being flown by helicopter from hospital, like in previous appearances.

Tantawi, the head of the ruling military council, who was Mubarak’s defence minister for 20 years, and Suleiman, who commanded the general intelligence services, were considered to have been close to the former president.

No official has yet been convicted over the killing of protesters during the 18-day revolt. Mubarak and the other defendants deny any responsibility for the deaths.

Tantawi and Suleiman gave witness accounts under a media blackout in September but attending lawyers said they denied knowing that Mubarak had given orders to fire at protesters.

"The defendants violated the riot act when they closed off all entrance points to Tahrir Square, not leaving one safe exit for protesters," said Khaled Abu Bakr, another lawyer for the victims.

"(Former Interior Minister Habib) al-Adly utilised all means of suppression against protesters to show he was saving the regime of Mubarak," he said.

The prosecution last week demanded "death by hanging" for Mubarak.

The next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.