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Mubarak — and was justly renowned under his tenure for its lack of
independence and its politicized rulings. There's good reason for
concern that former members of the regime are now victims of that
politicization. The judge hearing a murder case against former
interior minister Habib el-Adly, for example, was involved in one-
sided rulings against political dissidents during Mr. Mubarak's reign.
That's particularly worrisome because Mr. Adly has become the
focus of populist calls for retribution, with some opposition
sloganeers demanding that he be hanged.
Egypt cannot bury a half century of authoritarianism; there must be a
reckoning. But the right authority to oversee it is not a temporary
military authority attempting to keep crowds out of the streets, but a
democratically elected government. Investigations and trials must be
conducted by prosecutors and judges who are neutral, professional
and untainted by the previous regime. One leading Egyptian human
rights activist, Hossam Bahgat, has suggested that Egypt follow the
example of other countries emerging from dictatorship and establish
a formal process of investigation and exposure of past crimes — a
process that could include reparations for victims and prosecution of
the most significant cases. Such an initiative could help to bolster a
new democratic order in Egypt, but the rush to judgment now
underway could seriously undermine it.
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