New judges for Mubarak trial?

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CAIRO, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- An appeals court in Cairo announced it would consider new authorities to vet a decision to replace the judges presiding over the murder trial for Hosni Mubarak.

Mubarak is on trial for murder in connection with the deaths of protesters killed during a revolution that forced him from power after roughly 30 years in office. Omar Suleiman, former intelligence chief and one-time vice president, had testified in an earlier case that Mubarak was aware that security forces were using deadly force against civilian demonstrators.

President of the Cairo Appeals Court, Abdel Moez Ibrahim, said authorities would vet new judges later this week. Lawyers for the plaintiffs complained the current panel of judges in the Mubarak case didn't allow them to question ruling military council leader Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.

They also asked for trial judge Ahmed Refaat to step aside because he worked as a consultant in the Mubarak government.

Mubarak denied the validity of the charges during his initial hearing in early August.

Interior Minister Habib al-Adly is accused of ordering snipers deployed to key locations in Cairo. His case is linked with Mubarak's.

The trial is postponed until Dec. 28.