Ex-Egyptian interior minister could face death penalty

Habib El-Adly, senior security officials referred by Egypt's state prosecution to criminal courts for alleged intentional killings of protesters.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
egypt riots FOR GALLERY Mel 4 (photo credit: MELANIE LIDMAN)
egypt riots FOR GALLERY Mel 4
(photo credit: MELANIE LIDMAN)
If former Egyptian interior minister Habib El-Hadly will be found guilty of intentional killings during January's anti-government protests, he could face a minimum of 15 years imprisonment, or the maximum penalty of capital punishment, Egypt's English news daily Ahram Online reported Thursday.
Egypt's General Prosecution has referred Adly and other senior security officials to the criminal court for trial. 
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The group is accused not only of intentially killing protesters, but also damaging public and private property which may have harmed the Egyptian national economy, creating a security vacuum, and terrorizing Egyptian citizens.
The state prosecutor's referrals come amid a wave of indictments for security officials across Egypt, including in Alexandria and Giza, for disrupting general security and for spreading chaos during the protests that eventually ousted former president Hosni Mubarak.
Egyptian state prosecutors have interviewed hundreds of eyewitnesses, injured protesters, and families of those killed in the rallies in order to comprehensively compile a description of events that played out during the weeks-long demonstrations. In so doing, the prosecution has also added several police officers to the list who have been accused of killing or injuring protesters.