Dr Reem Abou-El-Fadl comments on the trial of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak

Amidst the euphoria surrounding the first hearing in the trial of Egypts former president Hosni Mubarak, Reem Abou-El-Fadl analyses the challenges ahead in a lengthy piece on Jadaliyya, an independent ezine produced by ASI (Arab Studies Institute), the umbrella organization that produces Arab Studies Journal.

The trial will be a barometer of the fortunes of the January Revolution as a whole, she writes.

The generals have been stalling Mubaraks trial to protect their own interests, as well as those of certain Gulf monarchies, also taking into account their relationship with the United States. As Mubaraks defence now attempts to expose these interests, the SCAF is likely to respond forcefully, combining repression, diversion and media control.

In the long run, if the process is deemed fair and the regimes crimes exposed, the trial will become an emblem for the Arab uprisings, and a cautionary tale for remaining despots, their allies abroad, and aspiring leaders. Whatever this single cases outcome, it has certainly revitalised the quest for accountability which was so central to the popular revolution of January 2011.

The full article can be read here.