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CAIRO – Egypt's ex-President Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in prisonSaturday for his role in the killing of protesters during lastyear's revolution that forced him from power, a verdict that caps astunning fall from grace for a man who ruled the country as hispersonal fiefdom for nearly three decades. The harsh sentence against the 84-year-old former leader appearedaimed at defusing tensions ahead of a divisive runoff presidentialrace that pits Mubarak's last prime minister against the MuslimBrotherhood's candidate. Mubarak, the first Arab leader to be tried in his own country,remained silent inside court cage while his once-powerful sonsappeared nervous and had dark circles under their eyes. His elderson Alaa whispered verses from the Quran. The 84-year-old Mubarak was then ferried in a helicopter away fromthe police academy that was used by the court in Cairo. Scuffles between Mubarak supporters and opponents broke out insideand outside the courtroom after the verdict was read, reflectingthe deep polarization of the country since Mubarak was overthrownon Feb. 11, 2011. Thousands of riot police cordoned off the building to preventprotesters and relatives of those slain during the uprising fromgetting too close. Hundreds stood outside, waving Egyptian flagsand chanting slogans demanding "retribution." Some spread Mubarak'spicture on the asphalt and walked over it. Mubarak and his two sons -- Gamal and Alaa -- were acquitted oncorruption charges, but the sons still faced a separate trial oncharges of insider trading. Ex-interior minister Habib el-Adly alsowas sentenced to life for the protester killings. Six othersecurity officials were acquitted. Judge Ahmed Rifaat delivered a strongly worded statement beforehanding down the sentences. Mubarak, who wore sunglasses and alight brown jacket over his clothes, and his co-defendants were inan iron cage. Rifaat described Mubarak's era as "30 years of darkness" and "adarkened nightmare" that ended only when Egyptians rose up todemand change. "They peacefully demanded democracy from rulers who held tight gripon power," the judge said. Rifaat, who was presiding over his last court session before heretires, said Mubarak and el-Adly did not act to stop the killingsduring 18-day days of mass protests that were met by a deadlycrackdown of security forces on unarmed demonstrators. More than850 protesters were killed, most shot to death, in Cairo and othermajor cities. Mubarak's verdict came just days after presidential elections havebeen boiled down to a June 16-17 contest between Mubarak's lastprime minister, one-time protege Ahmed Shafiq, and Mubarak's topfoe, a Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Morsi. I am an expert from bottle-fillingmachine.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Carbonated Soft Drink Filling Machine Manufacturer , Beer Filling Machine, Water Filling Machines,and more.
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