Judge Postpones Mubarak Trial, Halts TV Coverage

Some say move will ensure calmer environment; others denounce it
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 15, 2011 11:42 AM CDT
Judge Postpones Hosni Mubarak Trial, Halts Live TV Coverage
In this video image taken from Egyptian State Television 83-year-old former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak gestures as he lies on a bed within a cage at the court building in Cairo Aug. 15, 2011.   (AP Photo/Egyptian State TV)

Hosni Mubarak's trial has been adjourned for three weeks, and when it resumes Sept. 5, the hearings will no longer be televised. The judge ordered the live airings halted "in the interest of the public," but some opponents of the former Egyptian president were unhappy with the decision. "Preposterous! The case is necessary for public opinion. Not airing it live means there is a deal with Mubarak," one tells Reuters.

In addition, the judge ordered Mubarak's trial to be merged with the trial of former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, also charged with ordering the killing of protesters. Mubarak appeared in court today on a hospital bed. The judge struggled to maintain order inside, where there were more than 100 lawyers (the defense team has reportedly put together a list of 1,600 witnesses it would like called); outside, at least 20 people were injured in skirmishes, the BBC reports. (More Hosni Mubarak stories.)

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