Legal experts: the death penalty for those involved in the events at Maspero
10/10/2011
Hassan Mahmoud
A number of prominent legal experts have confirmed that a number of those involved in the bloody events at Maspero on Sunday 9 October will face the death penalty, particularly because there was criminal intent and some participants were armed with weapons used with fatal results.
Gamal Tag Eddin, the secretary general of the Lawyers Syndicate’ Freedoms Committee made clear that those involved in the Maspero events will face the death penalty because of a premeditated intention and intention to kill – particularly given that civilians were armed with weapons at the scene of events.
Tag Eddin demanded that the Public Prosecution Office summon lawyer Naguib Gobrail, who led protesters yesterday, for investigation because he has persistently stoked up strife recently. [Tag Eddin] emphasised the importance of respecting the law and state institutions during the transitional period.
Tag Eddin indicated that the events reveal clear defiance of the law and transgression of the peaceful rules [sic] of protest and determination to do away with the foundations that will lead to a solution for the problems. The situation must be resolved and the state of law and institutions consolidated.
Counsellor Fouad Rashed, head of the Appeals court and one of the leaders of the Judicial Independence Current said that the events fall within the scope of serious crimes. The punishment for them is according to criminal intent. For individuals who wanted to kill and killed, this is murder, and the death penalty is handed down to anyone with premeditated intent or who killed more than one civilian or who killed and caused disabilities to others.
He emphasised that people directly involved in acts of strife must be given the harshest punishments, because these individuals are playing a dangerous game; not just a game of revolution enemies but a game of Egypt’s historical enemies. He affirmed that overlooking crime opens the door to strife and destruction.
He added that hesitation in taking decisions will give the revolution’s enemies their historical chance to swoop, because they have money and most of it is begotten illegally. They are capable of spreading strife and therefore must be punished decisively.
He asks, “Why is there hesitation in issuing a political isolation law? And why are regime figures not being held to account politically? And why hasn’t a political accountability law been issued and a political court formed of personalities with a proven track record of probity to try Mubarak and his gang and retinue, given that Mubarak’s crimes are a policy in of themselves?
Counsellor Rashed called for calm, saying, “To all Egyptians…I say, were we patient about afflictions for decades only for us to find it too hard to deal with our thorny issues calmly during the transitional period? And is there a force on Egyptian land capable of finding solutions to Egypt’s problems and deal with the legacy of the long, black years in a day and a night? Is it true that the naked man is only annoyed by his nakedness when his robe is being made at the weaver, even though he was naked for years before that time? Is it not befitting for us to remember that there are countless issues requiring sound management and calm suggestions not delivered via swords, gunshots and blocking road!?”
Amr Ali Eddin, a member of the Committee for the Defence of January 25 Martyrs and Wounded added that the events fall within the scope of the Penal Code and are punishable by the strongest penalty because of an aggravating circumstance and because [the perpetrators took] advantage of the country’s critical condition with the aim of causing strife and disturbance. He pointed out that those involved in the events should be charged with murder and incitement to kill and the death penalty handed down to them.
This was originally published in Arabic on Ikhwan Online.
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