The long-awaited trial of ousted President Hosni Mubarak dominates the headlines of both state-run and independent newspapers Wednesdsay. Though some doubted whether Mubarak would actually appear in court, millions around the world anticipated the unprecedented trial at the Police Academy in Cairo.
“Mubarak in Cairo for the first time after stepping down,” reads the main headline of leftist opposition paper Al-Wafd. The paper reports that Interior Minister Mansour al-Essawy ensured that Mubarak would attend the opening of his trial. In his statement to Al-Wafd, Essawy explains the heavy security arrangements surrounding the trial of Mubarak, his sons Alaa and Gamal, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly and his assistants. Around 8000 security officers will take to the streets to protect defendants, secure the building and deal with any clashes between protesters and Mubarak supporters outside the courtroom, according to the paper.
Mubarak is facing charges related to killing protesters during the uprising, abusing his authority to illegally acquire wealth, and squandering public funds. The paper also quotes medical sources at the Sharm el-Sheikh hospital where Mubarak has been held since April, who said he is healthy enough to be transferred to Cairo, but his psychological state is deteriorating due to severe depression.
In related news, state-owned Al-Akhbar writes that lawyers and journalists gathered Tuesday in front of the office of the head of Cairo’s Appeal Court, al-Sayed Abdel Aziz Omar, demanding permission to attend the trial. According to the state-run paper, Omar refused to receive any complaints and hung a sign outside his office asking people to head to the court's administrative office in the Justice Ministry to inquire about the permits.
In unrelated news, state-owned Al-Ahram reports that North Sinai Governor Abdel Wahab Mabrouk has denied the presence of Al-Qaeda militants in the area. Rumors had circulated after leaflets signed "Al-Qaeda organization in the Sinai Peninsula" were distributed in the area, demanding that Sinai be made a separate Islamic emirate governed by Islamic law. Salafis held a press conference Tuesday to deny responsibility for the leaflets and accusations that the group was behind clashes between the military and gunmen that coincided with Islamist demonstrations Friday.
Al-Shorouk Editor-in-Chief Salama Ahmed Salama writes in an op-ed that for the first time in history, Muslim nations are divided and not ready for Ramadan.
“They (Muslims) are drowned, whether in seas of martyrs’ blood who die every day as victims of dictatorial, corrupt regimes … or in rivers of television soap operas and talk shows aired on tens of channels launched during the past months,” he writes.
At the end of his piece, the writer says the most important TV series, which will compensate for the insignificant soap operas aired during Ramadan, is “most probably the trial of former president.” He also incorrectly predicted that Mubarak would not appear in court, saying he could be forgiven for aging and being ill, but that his condition should not allow him to escape trial.
