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On April 14, Egypt's junta said "it would review court verdicts handed down to hundreds of civilians detained" since Mubarak's February ouster. The move came to quell public anger over continued human rights abuses and failure to address popular demands.
A short junta statement said:
"(I)t will review the cases of all young people who have been persecuted," and order a retrial of one youth after his mother appealed in the Wafd Party newspaper.
"Democracy advocates offered cautious praise," saying the decision's meaning was "far from clear," nor does it specify whether military or civilian courts will be in charge.
The Front for the Defense of Egyptian Protesters estimates at least 5,000 individual or group military trials have occurred since Mubarak's ouster on various charges, including politically related activities.
As long as junta leadership continues, or controls Egypt indirectly after later in the year elections, popular demands for economic, social, and democratic change will go unaddressed without sustained public pressure to force them. Liberating struggles throughout the region just began. Expect no resolution easily or quickly.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at Email address removed. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/ .
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