Egypt to Put Officials on Trial; Message to Regimes: Don't Lose Power!

By Barry Rubin

An Egyptian committee set up by the ruling junta has called for overthrown President Husni Mubarak to be put on trial for killing around 360 people who died during the revolution. This raises the possibility that Mubarak could be sentenced to death and executed.

Former Interior Minister Habib al-Adli, already facing trial for corruption now faces the added charge of ordering police to shoot at demonstrators. High-ranking police officers are also under arrest and being investigated for doing so.

Without remarking on the merits of the specific cases, what message does this send to other regimes, their security forces, and police? Of course this one:

If you don't support the regime and put down demonstrations you might be thrown into jail or even executed when the revolution wins.

Expect resistance to concessions or change and willingness to shoot demonstrators to increase in a half-dozen countries.