Egypt prosecutors seek death for Mubarak

Prosecutors at the trial of Hosni Mubarak on Thursday demanded that the ousted Egyptian President be sentenced to hang on charges of ordering the killing of demonstrators during unrest which led to his overthrow last year.

The demand for the death penalty, by Mustafa Khater, one of a five-member prosecution team, also extended to Mubarak's Interior Minister Habib el-Adly and four other former security chiefs.

More than 800 protesters were killed during an 18-day revolt before Mubarak was ousted on Feb 11.

Mubarak´s two sons, Gamal and Alaa, face corruption charges in the same trial along with their father and a close family friend who is a fugitive. Two police commanders charged with gross negligence in the same case, also face prison sentences if convicted.

"He [Mubarak] can never, as the head of the state, claim that he did not know what was going on. He is responsible and must bear the legal and political responsibility for what happened," prosecutor Mustafa Khater was quoted as saying.

"Retribution is the solution. Any fair judge must issue a death sentence for these defendants," he said, speaking on the third and final day of the prosecution´s opening statement.

"We feel the spirits of the martyrs flying over this hall of sacred justice, and those who lost their sight by the bullets of the defendants are stumbling around it to reach the judge and demand fair retribution from those who attacked them," he said.

While few had expected to hear the call for a death sentence for Mubarak put so bluntly, amid prosecution complaints of a lack of cooperation from the interior ministry in producing evidence, whether the ousted leader is executed or even convicted seemed doubtful.

After five months of sessions that were often bogged down by long delays, botched testimonies and procedural issues, Mubarak´s trial has left many Egyptians frustrated.

Many had hoped for swift justice against Mubarak after his ouster last February, following 18 days of unprecedented protests against his rule, while some expressed concerns that the generals who assumed power after him have no interest in convicting him.

Judge Ahmed Rifaat on Thursday adjourned the trial till Jan 9, when the defence is expected to present its case.