CAIRO, May 24 (UPI) -- Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was ordered to face criminal charges for his alleged role in the death of civilian protesters, the prosecutor said.
The official Middle East News Agency reports that prosecutors said Mubarak and his sons, Gamal and Alaa, could face charges tied to the death of protesters, abuse of power and misuse of public funds.
A government committee had determined that police affiliated with the Mubarak regime fired on protesters from on top of the American University of Cairo and the Interior Ministry building.
A criminal court in Giza found former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly guilty and sentenced him to prison for money laundering, profiteering and abuse of power. He faced a second set of charges alleging that he ordered the killing of unarmed protesters during the Egyptian revolution early this year.
Sources close to the investigation say the interior minister ordered associates to place 20 snipers at key locations, including five in his office, during the height of the unrest in January. Adly's lawyers said he issued orders based on false information from his deputies, meaning he wasn't responsible for the decision to fire on protesters.
At least 300 people were killed in Egyptian protests and thousands of others were injured.
Pro-reform demonstrators occupied Tahrir Square in Cairo for several weeks early this year. Heightened public pressure forced Mubarak to step down Feb. 11 after serving three decades as president.
