Mubarak and his henchmen escape the hangman’s noose

Mubarak and his henchmen escape the hangman’s noose

Starting in late January 2011 and lasting 18 days, thousands of Egyptians flooded the streets of Cairo and other population centers in a revolution aimed at toppling dictator Hosni Mubarak.

Mubarak, who had ruled Egypt with an iron fist for decades, resigned Feb. 11, 2011 — but not before his security forces killed 846 people and injured thousands.

The ousted president, his former exterior minister, Habib El-Adly, and six of his aides were arrested and charged with complicity in the deadly shooting.

The world was witness to the brutality in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the popular uprising and the symbol of what became known as the Arab Spring. Similar uprisings occurred in other countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

In an editorial shortly after Mubarak’s arrest, we offered this cautionary note:

“Anything short of the death penalty for deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would not only be a travesty of justice, but would embolden those Middle Eastern leaders, such as Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, who continue to cling to power by spilling the blood of their people.”

But to the dismay of the families of those killed and injured and of all freedom-loving people, Mubarak and his henchman have not only escaped the hangman’s noose, but the former president could be freed from prison.

He is currently serving a three-year prison term issued in May 2014 on corruption charges. But because he has been detained since April 2011, he could be the beneficiary of a new law that provides for release from prison if an inmate has served two-thirds of his sentence.

It is worth noting that Judge Mahmoud al-Rashidi dismissed the case against Mubarak on a technicality, saying his referral to prosecution ignored an earlier decision by prosecutors not to try him.

Judge al-Rashidi did find Mubarak’s security chief and six of his top aides not guilty on charges of ordering the killings.

In other words, no one is responsible for the deaths of more than 800 people and the wounding of thousands.

A travesty of justice if ever there was one — but unsurprising in light of what is taking place in Egypt today.

The current president, former Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, is fast becoming a replica of Mubarak. They share a deep distrust of and dislike for the Muslim Brotherhood, whose leader, Mohammed Morsi, took over the presidency after Mubarak resigned. They also believe in silencing their critics either by imprisoning them or having them disappear.

There should be no doubt that el-Sissi wanted Mubarak and his henchmen to be exonerated and that he will put pressure on prosecutors not to appeal the judge’s ruling to the Court of Cassation, the country’s highest legal authority.

No democracy

When — not if — Mubarak is set free, the message to Egyptians and the rest of the world will be clear: Democracy and the freedom it brings are not in the cards for that ancient land.

The media that support el-Sissi have wasted no time in denigrating the Arab Spring and the 2011 popular uprising. They contend the judge’s ruling in the Mubarak case is proof that the urprising was a conspiracy engineered by local agents hired by the West, as opposed to the “true” demonstrations by millions who pushed for Morsi’s ouster.

It’s clear that the cost of the revolution — 800-plus deaths and thousands injured — is for naught.

Democracy will not take hold so long as el-Sissi remains in power and governs the way Mubarak did.