Debating Mubarak’s Prosecution

Several analysts discussed the implications of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak’s anticipated trial on the Room for Debate blog of the New York Times. Nathan Brown of George Washington University argues that, in spite, of the scholarly literature that emphasizes truth over punishment in transitional justice, Mubarak’s prosecution may sustain the means and aims of the democratic transition by providing cohesion to the protest movement and bolstering Egyptian institutions, such as the judiciary. David Schenker of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy argues that Mubarak’s prosecution does not have widespread support among the public or the ruling military council, and will become a “dangerous distraction.” Rachel Bronson of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs argues that the trial will set the wrong precedent in a region that needs a model for peaceful, non-monarchical transitions of power, concluding that Mubarak should instead be “celebrated and lionized.” Other contributors criticize the mode of the scheduled trial and its handling by the military council.