Dozens injured at pro-Mubarak rally in Cairo
Clashes in capital between rival protesters demonstrating for and against putting former Eyptian president on trial.
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| The MENA news agency said clashes erupted after anti-Mubarak protesters arrived at a pro-Mubarak rally [AFP] |
Dozens of people have been injured in clashes in Cairo between rival protesters demonstrating for and against putting Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian president, on trial.
Mubarak, 83, was forced from office in February in a mass uprising driven by anger at high-level official corruption and widespread poverty.
He is due to stand trial on August 3 for the killing of protesters and abuse of power.
MENA, the country’s official news agency, said Friday’s clashes erupted in the centre of the capital after anti-Mubarak protesters arrived in an area where hundreds of Mubarak’s supporters were staging a rally.
“The situation then developed into clashes between the two groups who threw rocks at each other,” the agency said on Saturday, adding that security forces separated the two groups.
Mubarak has not appeared in public since retreating after his overthrow to his family’s villa in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
He made one recorded statement in April in which he denied accusations of corruption and vowed to defend his reputation.
Mubarak is suffering from cancer, his defence lawyer said on Monday, citing a medical report to assess whether the former leader is fit enough to stand trial.