Amid intense public interest, a court will hold its tenth session on Tuesday in the case of the murder of Lebanese pop singer Suzzane Tamim, in which Egyptian tycoon Hisham Talaat Mustafa and former police officer Mohsen el-Sokkary stand accused of having committed the crime. The court was forced to adjourn last Saturday due to a nationwide general strike by the country's lawyers. The session had been dedicated to hearing arguments by the prosecution. Mustafa's lawyers plan to submit 12 requests for evidence to the court, which they deem crucial to the case. If the requests fail to be met, the defense has the option of boycotting the court or continuing with their defense at their clients' insistence. Prosecutors say there is unequivocal evidence that the defendants did in fact commit the crime, stressing that they would demand the death penalty. The defendants received the death penalty in a previous trial, but successfully appealed the verdict before the Court of Cassation. Prosecutors also point out that the case has had an adverse impact on the Egyptian economy due to Mustafa's high-profile status. Along with being a prominent businessman, Mustafa is also a former MP for the ruling National Democratic Party of President Hosni Mubarak. Mustafa's lawyer, Bahaa Abu Shaqa, said he would defend Mustafa and el-Sokkary separately, unlike Mustafa's previous lawyer who had argued for both defendants in hopes that the acquittal of one would lead to the acquittal of the other. In its last session, the court received a letter from Tamim's family waiving its lawsuit against Mustafa, which they said they had initially filed under pressure from the media. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
