Sherif Waly, the eighth defendant in the Battle of the Camel case, testified Tuesday that he was not involved in any violence and that he and his son went to Mostafa Mahmoud Square in Mohandiseen to call for the restoration of stability after 25 January 2011.
24 people are charged with assaulting protesters in Tahrir Square on 2 and 3 February 2011. Some of the attackers rode horses and camels, thus the incident came to be known as the Battle of the Camel.
Waly was the National Democratic Party’s secretary in Giza, and he faces charges of inciting the killing of protesters and helping policemen and thugs injure protesters during the Battle of the Camel.
Crying, Waly told the Cairo Criminal Court that he would not commit such a crime because his own son was among the protesters in Tahrir. “I have been ostracized and my sons cannot look up when they go to university because of it.”
Addressing the judges, he said, “One of my sons was with me in Mostafa Mahmoud and the other was in Tahrir, so why would I help one clash with the other?”
Waly said that he teaches business management at three universities including Cairo University.
Several former regime figures are being tried in the case, including former Shura Council and People’s Assembly Speakers Safwat al-Sherif and Fathi Sorour and former Manpower Minister Aisha Abdel Hady. Former MP Mortada Mansour, and former MP and businessman Mohamed Abul Enein are also accused of involvement.
Investigations indicated that Sherif organized pro-Mubarak marches that intentionally clashed with anti-regime protests during the 25 January revolution. Sherif allegedly contacted NDP MPs to request that protesters be dispersed by force, even if this meant they would be killed.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
