Former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly has filed an appeal to the Court of Cassation against the sentence he received on 2 June for not stopping the killing of peaceful demonstrators during the 25 January revolution. 

The Cairo Criminal Court had sentenced Adly and former President Hosni Mubarak to 25 years in prison for conspiring to kill protesters, the maximum possible sentence under Egyptian law.

Former President Hosni Mubarak is also expected to appeal his sentence.

In addition, the prosecution intends to appeal the acquittals issued for Mubarak’s sons, Alaa and Gamal, business tycoon Hussein Salem, and six high-ranking security officials. The former president, his two sons and Salem were acquitted of charges of financial crimes, because 10 years had lapsed since the alleged crimes were committed. The security officials were found not guilty of killing protesters.

Adly’s defense team said that the court did not have material evidence proving that Adly failed to prevent the killing of protesters, and that he was not charged with intent to kill and therefore did not deserve the maximum penalty.

The defense added that the court did not specify all aspects of the crimes of which Adly was found guilty. Lawyers stated that Adly had told Mubarak the police force was unable to handle the situation when protests broke out last January, which prompted the former president to summon the army, thus lessening Adly’s responsibility in the matter.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm