For the first time in modern history, an Arab despot is being held to account by his own people. From a hospital bed in a courtroom cage, Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian dictator ousted in February’s popular uprising, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to kill protesters and abusing his powers for personal gain. On trial with him are his sons, Alaa and Gamal, Habib al-Adly, the ex-interior minister, and six former security officials. In a region where an untouchable elite had until six months ago been protected by a cloak of impunity, this is a remarkable turnaround.
阿拉伯独裁统治者出现在被告席上，接受本国人民的审判，这在现代历史上还是首次。在2月份民变中下台的埃及前独裁者胡斯尼•穆巴拉克(Hosni Mubarak)躺在法庭铁笼里的病床上，否认了关于他阴谋杀害示威者和滥用权力牟取私利的指控。同他一起受审的还有他的儿子阿拉(Alaa)和贾迈勒(Gamal)、前内政部长哈比卜•阿兹利(Habib al-Adly)、以及6名前安全官员。就在半年前，埃及这些触碰不得的精英们还手握“免罪金牌”，就这点而言，这可谓一个非同寻常的转变。