Ex-Egyptian spy chief testifies in Mubarak trial
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Omar Suleiman, the former chief of Egyptian intelligence, on Tuesday testified in the trial of ousted president Hosni Mubarak who has been accused of involvement in the killing of anti-regime protesters.
Despite a media blackout imposed on the trial, social media is abuzz with comments on the testimony of Suleiman, considered one of the most secretive figures of the Mubarak regime.
According to social networks and in particular facebook, Suleiman said the ousted president did not issue orders to use violence. But it was not clear if Mubarak ordered a cease to violence either.
The network activists expected Mubarak to be found not guilty and mockingly the families of the people who lost their lives to be punished. When questioned by the Egyptian prosecution more than two months ago, Suleiman was reported to have said neither the ousted president nor his minister of the interior issued orders to use violence against protesters.
However, Suleiman said Mubarak was aware of the degree of anger and frustration in Egypt because of deteriorating economic conditions and widespread corruption and that he asked the former president to order the army to be ready to be deployed if needed to protect the state institutions.
It is unprecedented for a court in Egypt to summon such high-level figures - particularly authorities from the highly secretive military and intelligence services.
The judge has barred anyone from attending except lawyers. The media is also barred from the trial and are not allowed to report anything on the testimony or even quote lawyers who attended the session.
Suleiman, who was appointed vice-president during the last weeks of Mubarak as president, is the first member of the ousted president's most senior leadership to appear in the court. Head of ruling Supreme Council, Field Marshall Hussien Tantawi was due to testify on September 11 with the chief of staff Sami Anan but they did not appear.
The court had asked Tantawi and Anan to testify whether the army received orders to open fire on the protesters in particular on the night of January 28 after the police withdrew from the streets and the army was deployed to keep order.
The court postponed his appearance until September 24 and 25 Mubarak is charged with ordering the killing of protesters during the uprising that toppled him in February. Nearly 900 people died in the unrest.
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