The trial of Hosni Mubarak resumed Wednesday after a 3-month break,with the ousted Egyptian leader returning to the metal defendants cage in a Cairo courtroom for the latest proceedings. Egyptian TV showed 83-year-old Mubarak,covered by a green blanket and lying on a hospital gurney as he was brought from a helicopter and taken to an ambulance for the short ride to the courthouse. Mubarak is charged with complicity in the killings of more than 800 protesters in the crackdown on a popular uprising in January and February that forced him out of office. He could face the death penalty if convicted. He has been under arrest since April,but he has never gone to prison and instead has been confined to hospitals the entire time. Mubarak and his two sons,who are in prison,also face corruption charges. Wednesdays session lasted for only a few hours and then the judge adjourned the trial again until January 2. The judge received new requests from defense lawyers to expand the case to include other incidents of violence and deaths of protesters since Mubaraks ouster. Mubaraks lawyers argued that killings of protesters continued even after he stepped down and asked for this to be considered evidence that he is not the one responsible for the killings. Protests and unrest have continued throughout the year,with pro-democracy activists keeping up pressure on the ruling military for reforms. Clashes between protesters and security forces have killed more than 100 people since Mubaraks ouster.
