The Mubarak trial: Justice or revenge?

Egypt's ailing former leader is finally going to court for corruption and the killing of protesters — and his nation's future may ride on the trial's outcome

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
(Image credit: REUTERS/Egypt TV via Reuters TV)

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, 83, who is reportedly suffering from cancer, was wheeled into a Cairo courtroom on a hospital bed on Wednesday, to face charges of engaging in corruption and ordering the killing of protesters during the 18-day uprising against his reign. He denied the allegations "categorically." If found guilty, the frail octogenarian, who ruled Egypt for 30 years, could face the death penalty. What does Mubarak's trial mean for Egypt's future?

This is a crucial test in Egypt's transformation: Millions of Egyptians are accustomed to seeing Mubarak portrayed on TV as a nearly divine figure, says Leila Fadel in The Washington Post. They'll now watch, via live broadcast, as he faces justice in the defendant's cage. The high-drama proceedings will also be "an important test of a judicial system that was once subservient" to the toppled leader, and give us a glimpse of how much reform the Arab Spring has really brought about.

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