By Maher Abbas and Renad Ghanem

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Egyptian expats are waiting anxiously to know the verdict and sentencing Saturday of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, his sons, security chiefs and aides.

Many Egyptians believe that Mubarak might not show up for trial due to health reasons while others believe that many of the accused will be acquitted of the charges.

 

Another group says that the trial will be adjourned until a new president has been elected.



However, the majority of Egyptians believe that no death sentence will be awarded.

 

Ahmed Diab, an Egyptian expatriate living in Jeddah, hopes to see Mubarak freed. “I don’t think he is guilty, and people should respect the verdict anyway,” he said. But it would be better to delay the verdict till the election of a new president, Diab said.



Shimaa Muhammed, another Egyptian expatriate, is afraid that if Mubarak is absolved of charges, people will not accept it.

“Before the start of the trial, I was angry and I wanted the death penalty against him. But after I watched the trial on TV, I felt that it was humiliating for him. I cried when I saw him, I felt pity for him,” she said. Shimaa wants the court to pardon him even if he is found guilty.

 

The court took four months to deliberate and examine documents and evidence submitted by prosecutors and defense teams.