The trial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who had served longer than any other ruler of Egypt in modern times, began Wednesday in Cairo. He is charged with ordering the killings of hundreds of protesters, and could receive the death penalty if convicted.
Host Michel Martin speaks with young Egyptian activist Wessam el-Deweny about seeing the once mighty Mubarak wheeled into the courtroom in a cage.
El-Deweny says the majority of Egyptians are happy to see the beginnings of justice. She accuses Mubarak of wasting public funds, murdering protestors and corrupting political life for the past 30 years. She notes that locals never even imagined that the Mubarak trial would air publicly on television.
El-Deweny acknowledges that the public is tiring of the demonstrations that raged for months, but many participants of the January revolution are happy to see some of their key demands being met. She asserts that many ministers and government officials have been replaced. Families of martyrs have been compensated and honored.
“Many of our demands are being achieved but many people cannot keep up with the speed of young revolutionaries,” Wessam el-Deweny says.
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