Mubarak trial could be the last for judge before retirement

Judicial resources at the Cairo Court of Appeal mentioned that Ahmed Refaat, the top of the North Cairo Criminal Court, may possibly not preside over any some other case after 2 June, the date set for the verdict in the case of ousted President Mubarak, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly and six of his deputies. The sources said that Refaat may retire on 30 June.

It is customary in the Court of Appeal to not refer any cases to a judge three months before his retirement, the sources said, adding that Refaat would announce if he is retiring during the same session as pronouncing the verdict.

The defendants are charged with involvement in the murder of pro-democracy activists during the January 2011 uprising that forced Mubarak to step down.

The session Wednesday heard the final comments of the defense.

Lawyers involved in the case said delivering the verdict a hundred days after closing arguments means that the judge has not formed an opinion on the case. The lawyers doubted that politics would affect the case.

A sigh of relief was voiced by the defendants, especially Alaa Mubarak, who feared the verdict would be announced in Wednesday’s session, according to well-informed sources.

Security sources said that Wednesday’s session was recorded since it included statements by Adly and Hassan Abdel Rahman, head of the now-defunct State Security, and that the recording was sent to security sources for review. These bodies also received a copy of a comment Mubarak wrote to the judge during the session.

El Masry Al youm