Mansoura Criminal Court on Thursday acquitted four Daqahlia police officials accused of killing and injuring demonstrators during the 25 January 2011 uprising.
Following the verdict, the victims' families became enraged and pelted security forces and the court building with stones.
Protesters outside the court chanted: “The people want to cleanse the judiciary” and “Down, down with military rule.”
The defendants in the case were Major General Ahmed Abdel Basset, Daqahlia's security director; Major General Adel al-Barbary, director general of the East Delta Central Security Forces; Major Mahmoud Saqr, chief of Mansoura's law enforcement unit; and Captain Hossam Abdel Rahman, a Central Security Forces officer.
The Public Prosecution had referred the defendants to trial in May 2011.
Barbary and Sakr were accused of helping police officers kill peaceful protesters between 26 and 31 January. The two defendants were also accused of encouraging a number of police officers responsible for securing protests in Daqahlia Governorate to shoot live ammunition and birdshot at protesters, with the intention of killing some and frightening the others.
Abdel Basset was charged for administrative mismanagement at his former place of work.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
