The Trial of Hosni Mubarak

The Arab Spring once looked destined to fail. How could the self-immolation of a street vender set off such a rippling effect to topple governments all over the Arab world? Yet the overthrow of his country, Tunisia, neighboring Egypt and then Libya all happened. Syria and Yemen are still in the throws of revolution. Oman, Kuwait, Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain and Lebanon had governments make concessions to protestors. Violent protests came to the streets of Algeria and Iraq. Lesser, but still raucous protesting occurred in Western Sahara, Mauritania, Sudan and Saudi Arabia. But the three nations where the government was overthrown have dealt with the deposed differently.

In Tunisia, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was exiled to Saudi Arabia. In Libya, Colonel Gaddafi was killed in the streets. But, in Egypt, former President Hosni Mubarak stands on trial for ordering the killings of some of the protestors. Egypt held elections that saw the once banned Muslim Brotherhood and a Salafist party called Nour taking large chunks of the vote. This has caused many Western observers to feel a little bit nervous over the trajectory of the Egyptian revolution. But, the greatest danger to the world is not an Islamist government in Egypt, but a retention of power in the military's hands. Egyptians fear that the military, which has been doing a caretaker government, will interfere with the trial of Hosni Mubarak.

Today the prosecutors announced that they will seek the maximum penalty for the former president, execution by hanging. A number of policemen had charges of killing rioters dropped against them last week, further stoking fears that the military is stepping into the court system and delegitimizing the process. Whatever the outcome of the trial, the Western world must not do anything to hinder a democratic process. Any aid to the military against the democratic process will only spark more anti-western sentiment. As unpalatable as an Islamist Egypt may appear, the West has worked well with Saudi Arabia, one of the most fundamental of the Arab States. An Islamist government is far more preferable to a failed state or a military dictatorship where the citizens become so disenfranchised they seek out the terrorist leaders for purpose. A stable Islamist Egypt is a much better scenario for the whole world, than a rouge state.

As Egypt moves further though it must seek to provide justice to both its citizens and its former president. If the trial acquits him in a way that looks tainted there will be blood on the streets. If the trial hangs him out of revenge, then the blood will be on the hands of the revolutionaries and taint the new dawn of Egypt.