Cairo (CNN) -- The defense will give closing remarks Wednesday in the trial of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak after prosecutors demanded the former president be held responsible for the deaths of protesters during the clashes that led to his ouster last year.
The ailing Mubarak is on trial on charges of corruption and ordering the deaths of hundred of protesters. He has denied the charges.
Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty for Mubarak, who was forced from office in February 2011 after three decades of iron-clad rule.
"Even if the defense statement was true that the former president was not aware of such acts, he remains responsible by virtue of the Constitution and the law -- for all of these acts were committed while he was acting as a president," said prosecutor Mustafa Suleiman, during his closing remarks on Monday.
"As president, Mubarak was responsible for protecting all Egyptian citizens. He didn't take the appropriate measures to carry out his duty to stop the bloodshed and the acts of violence against the Egyptian people," Suleiman said.
Also on trial is Mubarak's two sons and other members of his regime.
About 840 people died and more than 6,000 were wounded in the 18 days of unrest that toppled the then-president, according to Amnesty International.
Egypt's revolution came on the heels of Tunisia's revolt that led to the ouster of that country's leader in January 2011. Since then, protests against longtime rulers swept across North Africa and the Middle East, including uprisings in Libya, Yemen and Syria.
A verdict date is expected to be scheduled on Wednesday. Also it could be decided soon if Mubarak will be moved to a prison hospital while he waits for a verdict, said Adel Saeed, the spokesman of the general prosecutor's office.
Khalid Abu Bakr, a civil rights lawyer, representing families of the victims is happy with the seven-month-long trial that has been dubbed, "the trial of the century " in Egypt.
"I am proud of the transparency and objectivity of this historical trial regardless of the verdict. It has met all the standards of judicial due process in comparison with court proceedings in Europe and the United States of America," Bakr said.
Farid El Deeb, representing the Mubarak family and Habib El Adly -- the former minister of interior standing trial for murder charges along with Mubarak -- is expected offer the final argument and may allow his defendants to speak in court.
"Habib El Adly, and other defendants have expressed their desire to speak today for the first time before the announcement of the date of the final verdict, " El Deeb said.
- Courtesy: CNN
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