Khaled al-Badawy, the new secretary general of the National Council for Care of the Revolution Martyrs’ Families and Wounded, said Monday that he has no specific plan of action, justifying this by having assumed the post a short time ago.
“But I have suggestions for the board to discuss,” the Muslim Brotherhood figure and lawyer said in an interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Prime Minister Hesham Qandil dismissed the former secretary general, Hosni Saber, when the families of the martyrs demanded it in a demonstration, accusing him of failing to do his job.
Badawy said no money could compensate the loss of children. “All we can do at the moment is try and meet the financial and social needs of the families,” he explained. “And we can think of raising the compensation money later."
Badawy said there was a great loophole in the case against former President Hosni Mubarak for killing demonstrators during the 25 January revolution. “The court ruled in five percent of the charges filed against them,” he said. “It pertained only to what happened in Tahrir Square and ignored the rest of the squares.”
“This will warrant a retrial,” he added. “But the previous sentence will remain.” Mubarak and former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly were each sentenced to 25 years in prison for failing to prevent the deaths of protesters.
According to the Health Ministry, an estimated 840 were killed during the 25 January revolution, with an additional 6,467 injured.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces announced in June 2011 the formation of a council to address the needs of those affected by the violence. Former Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri issued a formal decree to officially establish the council the following December.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
