Insult to Injury in Egypt

by Stephen Lendman

Egypt's military dictatorship holds absolute power. Has no legitimacy whatever.

Rules by decree. Controls the media. Ignores fundamental international laws, norms and standards. Its own constitutional law.

Prohibits dissent. Tolerates no opposition. Killed at least 3,000 Muslim Brotherhood members. Imprisoned tens of thousands more. Brutally tortures many.

Wages war on millions of working class Egyptians. Especially youths. Justifiably angry over increasing unemployment, poverty, police state rule, corruption, and injustice.

Junta rule controls the courts. Mubarak's acquittal of mass murder charges shows Egyptian-style justice. Along with his security chief, Habib el-Adly, and six top police officials.

No government, military or police convictions followed killing hundreds in Tahrir Square. During 18 revolutionary days.

In clashes with police. From January 25 - February 11, 2011. Despite clear evidence proving guilt.

All remaining charges against Mubarak were dismissed. Adding insult to injury.

The Muslim Brotherhood's English language web site headlined "Anti-Coup Jurists: Deposed Mubarak Acquittal Null and Void," saying:

"Egypt's pro-legitimacy Independence of the Judiciary Front (IJF) rejects as totally flawed the court verdict issued Saturday acquitting ousted president Mubarak and his senior government officials."

On charges of mass murder and financial corruption. Involving gas sales to Israel at below-market prices. In return for lavish Red Sea homes given him and his two sons as kickbacks.

"…Saturday's court ruling will be challenged, especially since it was issued in violation of clear and unequivocal evidence upon which Mubarak and all his associates should be executed for murder."

"IJF pledged to refer Mahmoud Al-Rashidi, the trial judge, to the Disciplinary Board."

"…Saturday's flawed judgment completes the plight of the judicial institution after the military coup, a natural result of the ongoing massacre of honest judges, and a strictly political decision that has an obvious relationship with the illegitimate coup, the military junta and the mobilization of armored personnel carriers and tanks throughout the streets of Egypt days before the verdict was announced."

"(T)his ruling will open the doors of popular retribution and revenge as authorities insist on trampling justice."

"(T)he People's Court, held in Tahrir Square during Mubarak's ouster, headed by Judge Mahmoud Khudairi (currently detained on trumped-up charges), with participation of some of Egypt's best and most honorable judges and lawyers, issued a ruling to hang Mubarak, his interior minister and other senior officials, and dealt with all crimes for which the ousted president has not been tried as yet."

"…IJF called on all supporters of the independence of the judiciary and the justice system to respond positively, by closing ranks in solidarity with the people's demands to execute Mubarak and his aides, before and after the military coup. IJF vows to continue its "Retribution" campaign, headed by Judge Imad Abu-Hashem, for the defense of Egypt's right to retribution, the right of the judiciary in upholding justice and independence, and the right of the families of martyrs and prisoners in holding the perpetrators accountable."

Whitewashing mass murder and corruption shows the complete military dictatorship triumph over hope for revolutionary change.

Mubarak may be freed. In May, he was sentenced to three years in prison. In a separate corruption case.

Involving lavish government-funded home improvements he and his sons got. Detained since April 2011, he'll likely be released. His legal team wants it swiftly. Saying his detention qualifies as time served.

Egyptian-style justice affords none at all. Police murdered Sayid Abdel Latif's son. He lost hope for justice, saying:

"Is there anyone who would put himself on trial? Mubarak's regime is still in place."

"The January revolution is over. They ended it. We thought Sisi would bring us our rights, but he is one of them."

Egyptian/American journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous tweeted:

"Egyptian courts have failed to find anyone guilty of killing hundreds of protesters in 2011 or since. Chalk it up to mass suicide."

Human rights advocate Hossam Bahgat called Saturday's ruling "a very deliberate decision by the regime to continue on the path of rewriting the history that led to Mubarak's ouster and closing the file on the Jan. 25 revolution."

Junta rulers "are not afraid. They are perfectly capable of letting (Mubarak) walk free, and they feel no pressure to hold him accountable."

London-based Muslim Brotherhood member Abdullah El-Haddad said:

"The fascist putschists may continue to summon Mubarak's gang back to life but this will not change the reality on the ground."

"The next trial for Mubarak and his corrupt cronies will be a revolutionary one. Justice will prevail and the revolution will have its say."

London Telegraph's Middle East correspondent, Richard Spencer, called it "politically impossible for Mr Mubarak and his interior minister, Habib al-Adly, to pay any real judicial price for what happened on those days."

"The horror that unfolded during the afternoon and night of January 28 has been matched or outdone by events since, in Egypt and elsewhere."

"Most importantly, Egypt's new strongman, President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi, owes his own position to the tough line he took with protests subsequent to the military coup that brought him to power."

"A thousand more protesters died in August last year, and the line of command for those shootings is on record. (T)hose who kill for the state…remain unpunished."

After usurping power, junta generals reinvented history. Justifying state violence. Blaming ordinary Egyptians for demanding rights everyone deserves.

Mubarak et al's acquittal was inevitable. Fascists don't punish their own. Status quo remains. Nothing in prospect suggests otherwise.

Saturday's ruling came a day after security forces killed four peaceful protesters.

Mubarak scoffed at an initial guilty ruling against him, saying:

"I laughed when I heard the first verdict." After Saturday's ruling he said: "I did not do anything at all."

His lawyer, Farid al-Deeb, called the verdict a "good ruling that proved the integrity of Mubarak's era."

Protests followed Saturday's farcical ruling. Thousands turned out. The largest anti-regime demonstration so far. Some carried photos of loved ones Mubarak killed in 2011.

Police used tear gas, water cannons, birdshot and live fire. Two deaths were reported. Numerous other injuries. Dozens of arrests were made. Including at least four journalists.

Police justified force it earlier vowed to avoid. Saying Muslim Brotherhood members infiltrated demonstrator ranks.

Witnesses said police violence was unprovoked. RT International correspondent, Bel Tru, said security forces arrested nonviolent demonstrators. "(S)ome Egyptian journalists apparently among those detained," she explained.

"On the streets of downtown Cairo we're seeing clouds of choking tear gas, and still the sporadic sound of gunfire is being heard, as the police are looking for anyone who could have participated in the protest."

Demonstrators confirmed "sweeps of arrests, with dozens taken. People have been picked up in the streets, sometimes in cafes, beaten in the back of police trucks. It's completely chaotic."

Armored vehicles were involved. Protesters shouted "Down with the military regime." "Freedom."

"The people want to topple the regime." Condemning Mubarak, ruling General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and other junta officials.

Security forces blocked Tahrir Square. Using concrete blocks, barbed wire and armored vehicles.

Junta power rules Egypt. Tyranny by any standard. Brute force reflects it.

People feel betrayed. Revolutionary hope faded. Things are back to square one. Business as usual continues.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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