Cairo: At least two persons were killed and ten others injured when police clashed with demonstrators protesting to denounce dropping of murder charge against former ousted president Hosni Mubarak and his sons by an an Egyptian court. Over 3,000 protesters took to the streets and gathered near iconic Tahrir Square, after Mubarak was acquitted of a murder charge by a court which found him not guilty in the killing of hundreds of unarmed protesters during the 2011 revolution that toppled the former strongman's nearly three decades-long regime.
Health Minister Adel elAdawy confirmed that two protesters died while ten others sustained injuries. The protesters held country's flag and chanted slogans against the verdict. Police closed Tahrir square to prevent protesters from entering and fired water cannons, teargas and birdshot to disperse the crowd, media outlets reported.
In a dramatic reversal of fortune, Judge Mahmud Kamel al-Rashidi overturned the life sentence that Mubarak had received in June 2012, which means he will not be facing any punishment for allegedly sanctioning the murder of 846 protesters during Egypt's 2011 uprising or for allegedly profiting from the export of gas at below market rates. But in January 2013 the Court of Cassation upheld an appeal by his supporters against Mubarak's convictions on technical grounds and ordered a retrial which began in April the same year. The retrial was adjourned several times till the court gave an order. The ruling marks another major setback for the young activists who spearheaded the Arab Spring-inspired uprising nearly four years ago -many of whom are now in jail or have withdrawn from politics - and will reinforce the perception that Mubarak's autocratic state remains in place, albeit led by a new president, former military chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
The verdict concludes Mubarak's retrial along with his two sons, his security chief and six top security commanders, who were all acquitted. Also on trial was businessman Hussein Salem, a longtime Mubarak friend tried in absentia. He too was acquitted. Mubarak was also acquitted of corruption charges that he faced along with his sons Alaa and Gamal. It was not immediately clear whether Mubarak would now walk free since he is serving a three-year jail term for corruption charges he was convicted of in May. He has been in detention since April 2011, but it is unclear if the past three-and-a-half years will be considered as time served. Mubarak was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2012 on charges related to the killing of protesters, but the verdict was overturned on appeal the following year.
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