Egyptian police officers convicted of murder in protest crackdown

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Source: CNN

Cairo (CNN) -- A court convicted five Egyptian police officers of murder Tuesday for killing protesters in the February 2011 uprising that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.

The convictions in Cairo Criminal Court come a day before the country's first free presidential elections.

The officers, who were sentenced to 10 years in prison, were not present for their trial or sentencing, according to Adel Saeed, the spokesman for the general prosecutor's office. Their whereabouts are unknown.

"The court decision may be appealed, and a retrial is possible too since it was in absentia," he said.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/22/world/africa/egypt-officers-convicted/

[BlueToTheBone]

1. Wow. Is this a change or is it

scapegoating?

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2. Why not both?

Clearly these guys are not big-shots any more. Just as clearly, that would make them excellent scapegoats, if scapegoats were needed.