02 March 2017•Update: 05 March 2017
By Mustafa Eid
CAIRO
Egypt’s highest appeals court on Thursday issued a final ruling acquitting former President Hosni Mubarak of charges of involvement in the murder of demonstrators during Egypt’s 2011 popular uprising.
Thursday’s court verdict is final and cannot be appealed.
In 2012, a Cairo criminal court sentenced Mubarak to 25 years behind bars after convicting him of "involvement" in the murder of 239 anti-regime protesters during the 18-day uprising.
Mubarak’s lawyers, however, successfully appealed the sentence, and Egypt’s Court of Appeals ordered two retrials, the second and final of which ended on Thursday with a “not guilty” verdict.
After the verdict was read out, Mubarak -- who attended Thursday’s court session accompanied by his two sons -- was congratulated by several high-ranking security officials who were present in the courtroom.
Mubarak was forced to step down on Feb. 11, 2011, following 18 days of countrywide demonstrations during which hundreds of Egyptians were reportedly killed.
