Egypt’s ousted President Hosni Mubarak would face the death penalty if convicted of ordering the shooting of protesters during the uprisings that brought him down, the country’s new justice minister said April 30.
Mohammed el-Guindi told the daily Al-Ahram that Mubarak, his two sons and wife are also facing allegations of corruption, which he said the former president had made the chief “discourse” of his government.
“Certainly, if convicted for the crime of killing protesters, it could result in the death sentence,” said el-Guindi. He added that the key to the case was whether former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly, also under investigation, would testify that Mubarak had given the order to open fire on the protesters. “The only one capable of pardoning Mubarak … would be the new president,” said el-Guindi. “If I were the president, I will not pardon him for killing 800 martyrs.” Egypt will hold new presidential elections in November.