Trials of Ex-Dictators Under the Spotlight
What purpose do they serve and is there a danger of them turning into show trials?
Trials of Ex-Dictators Under the Spotlight
What purpose do they serve and is there a danger of them turning into show trials?
As the trials of deposed Arab leaders begin – with Mubarak’s case underway and Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali already tried in absentia – Dr Dina Matar of the School of Oriental and African Studies assesses their purpose and likely repercussions.
What effect will these high profile trials have on other Arab leaders?
I am sure other Arab leaders are not as comfortable in their seats now, as this has never before happened in the context of the post-colonial Arab world. And I don’t think anybody expected it to take place in such a public way. Mubarak’s is a televised, very visual trial.
I am in two minds over its effect. One might be that people become emotional and, seeing an old man acting with dignity, become more sympathetic to him – and there were indeed people protesting in support of him outside the courtroom when the trial opened. But also, the staggered way the trial is being carried out – the next session has been delayed until August 15, and there are hundreds of witnesses to be called – will not have the same effect as an action-packed courtroom drama. It will take time, as they have to show it is a fair trial.
The main thing to remember is that all the revolutionary processes – because they haven’t ended yet – have been very much image led, from the self-immolation in Tunisia to the events in Tahrir square. And all are taking place in the age of digital media. These trials will become part of the cultural historical memory, like the 18 days of the Egyptian revolution, which will have a formative effect on the new political consciousness.
Is there a danger of legal actions against former dictators turning into show trials?
People in Tunisia feel that Ben Ali is going to get away with it because he is not there (having left Tunisia for Saudi Arabia in January). But his trial has nonetheless boosted the idea of the power of the people, a concept which is very strong in the region right now. The whole idea that the state equals one person - an idea which has always been associated with the Middle East - has changed. If that one person can fall, then maybe people can believe that everything can change.
As these trials get underway, what is Bashar al-Assad - who seems increasingly under pressure - likely to be thinking?
Syria remains in a critical situation. What is key is that we still do not understand the role of the military in the uprising. In Syria, they have not yet turned en masses against the regime. Sending his tanks into Hama, given its history, was a big signal from Assad. He is saying, “We are still here, our army is still here, and we’re not going anywhere.”
He may also feel comforted by the fact it’s clear there won’t be any Libya-style intervention in Syria. But at the same time, until recently, people were still saying that it was not him personally responsible for ordering the attacks - that it was people around him. This is changing.
In Egypt, many people have said that Mubarak was stupid to have stayed and face trial. My feeling is that Assad does not have such a strong personality – if it comes down to it, and is more likely to just leave the country.
Is there a risk that trials of ex-leaders could be mismanaged and lead to widespread criticism of the judicial process, as in the case of Saddam Hussein?
The trial of Saddam happened in the context of war, invasion and occupation, and turned into a farce. Also, I remember when he was hung, and people began to feel sorry for him, a natural human reaction when you see someone humiliated. But the events in Egypt are rather different. Although the newspapers were full of reports of the more farcical elements of the Mubarak trial – at one point, for instance, a lawyer said that Mubarak should undergo a DNA test because of claims he had been replaced by an impostor – it is so far taking place in a dignified fashion and people are watching it avidly. The trial has to prove to all that Egyptian institutions can be changed and improved, and that no-one can get away with doing something wrong. Together with economic reform and freedom of expression, this was very much the aim of the people behind the revolution.
Daniella Peled is editor of IWPR's Arab Spring project.
