Former President Hosni Mubarak's lawyer alleged in court Sunday during an appeal trial that the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas were responsible for killing demonstrators during revolution protests last year.
The Court of Cassation is considering the appeal of Mubarak and former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly's life sentences on charges of failing to prevent protester deaths and is expected to rule on the case on 13 January.
Deeb referred to the testimonies of former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and former Interior Minister Mahmoud Wagdy during the initial trial that 100 members of the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement allegedly entered Egypt through smuggling tunnels from Gaza on 27 January with the help of Bedouins and killed the demonstrators.
He also argued Mubarak's conviction was subjective and without evidence, saying there was a lack of an intent to kill and purporting to also clear the police of culpability for the killings.
Mubarak and Adly were sentenced to 25 years in prison in June. Many conspiracy theories emerged during the revolution and throughout their trial regarding who was behind the killing of thousands of protesters who participated in the uprising against Mubarak.
Few police officers brought to trial on charges of shooting protesters to death have been convicted, and some of the convictions have been overturned on appeal.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
