Wednesday's papers unanimously lead their coverage with headlines related to the trial of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly and six security chiefs.
The trial resumed Tuesday at Cairo Criminal Court. The court heard from the prosecution for an hour in the first session before adjourning the hearing to Wednesday. The prosecution had been given three days to make its case.
State-run Al-Ahram's headline reads "Mubarak broke the pledge and forgot that Egyptians are not slaves." In its front pages, the paper enumerates the accusations advanced by prosecutors. Privately owned Al-Tahrir headlines quote the prosecution's plea that "Mubarak deserves shame and humiliation." Al-Wafd and Al-Shorouk, both privately owned dailies, lead with headlines that say the prosecution demands the execution of Mubarak.
On its front page, Al-Tahrir shows a picture of Adly — who is being tried for the murder of unarmed protesters — walking to the court with his hands uncuffed. The headline of the picture reads, "If this is the prosecution's case, where is the law and the accusations?" It refers to what has been described by civil rights lawyers as an overly rhetorical case made by the prosecution, devoid of concrete accusations.
Al-Tahrir also reports that contrary to its actual aim, the hearing of the prosecutors' case created a state of relief among the defense lawyers. The paper quotes Adly's lawyer, Essam al-Battawy, as saying that the prosecution has not advanced any evidence that the former interior minister ordered the shooting of protesters.
State-run Al-Akhbar leads with less critical and more pompous headlines. "The trial of an epoch, and the beginning of another: Mubarak and his aides are in the caged dock being punished for their crimes, while masses in the polls are choosing their future. The trial is a lesson and a reminder for every ruler," it says.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party daily highlights the ongoing parliamentary elections rather than the trial, with a headline that reads "Long queues are back in the third phase [of elections]." It reports on violations monitored by the Freedom and Justice Party "operation room," and includes stories on unlawful campaigning by "remnants of the old regime," Nour Party, the Revolution Continues alliance, and the Egyptian Bloc on the first day of the third round of elections. Freedom and Justice paper reports that the Egyptian Bloc wrongfully used the name of "Freedom and Justice" to campaign for its list in Tanta, and that Revolution Continues "took advantage of voters' illiteracy" and painted their list's symbol on voters' hands in Mansoura.
Privately owned Al-Dostour reports on poll violations with a headline that reads: "Election bribes, dead voters, delayed opening of polls, violations of campaign ban period are the negative highlights of the third round's first day." Privately owned Youm7 includes a headline on its front page that reads, "Islamists are creeping toward parliamentary domination on the periphery." It reports on various instances of clashes and conflict between the Freedom and Justice Party and Nour Party during Tuesday's elections. Al-Shorouk leads with the headline "A calm beginning for the last election phase." Al-Tahrir daily leads the elections story with "The third phase: Calm, violations and dead voters."
Al-Ahram runs a story with the headline "Police are glad Nagham returned after five days of absence." The story refers to Nagham al-Halbawy, whose brother is the administrator of presidential hopeful Hazem Saleh Abu Ismail's Facebook page and a campaigner for his presidency. Nagham al-Halbawy disappeared under mysterious circumstances. In an interview aired on Islamic satellite channel Al-Hekma, Halbawy had said she was beaten by strangers who entered her home and examined her brother's computer, then regained her conscience in a family home.
But based on an official Interior Ministry statement, Al-Ahram reports that thanks to the criminal investigation team, Halbawy was found at a family home in Agouza. The story reports that all concerned parties gave similar testimonies. They said Halbawy had willfully left her home due to conflicts with her family. Halbawy is quoted as denying "her brother's and others' allegations" that she was kidnapped. The story refers to these allegations as "lies circulated on the internet, aimed at weakening trust toward the police and creating strife between the police and the people."
The story is not mentioned in other state-run dailies or in the Freedom and Justice newspaper. Privately owned Al-Tahrir includes a story on Halbawy entitled "Nagham's return adds to the mystery of her disappearance." Al-Tahrir quotes her as saying that her kidnapping is certainly a counter-campaign against presidential hopeful Hazem Abu Ismail. The paper reports her brother as saying that the kidnapping was planned by "a sovereign institution," and that he was the initial target. The story also reports the Interior Ministry's version of her disappearance.
Egypt's papers:
Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt
Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size
Al-Gomhurriya: Daily, state-run
Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Youm7: Daily, privately owned
Al-Tahrir: Daily, privately owned
Freedom and Justice: Daily, published by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party
Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Nasserist Party
