CAIRO // One night during his jailing on trumped up charges in 2005, when Mr Mubarak reigned unchallenged, Mr Nour dreamed of the dictator getting his comeuppance in prison.
"He was sick and his legs were amputated," Mr Nour recalled. "The prison guards were treating him in a very bad manner. I remembered that I decided to help him. This was no way for someone to be treated. They were killing him."
Another dream, sometime later, featured Mr Mubarak's son Gamal and business tycoon Ahmed Ezz, as his prison guards.
Years later, the dreams appear almost portentous. The same cell where Mr Nour was held in isolation for four years in Tora Prison on the outskirts of Cairo has been prepared for Mr Mubarak if he is deemed healthy enough to leave the military hospital where he is now being held. The trial, in which Mr Mubarak is accused of corruption and responsibility for the deaths of protesters during the revolution, resumes tomorrow. The six-by-three metre cell with six beds, three toilets and a bathtub, was separated from other prisoners and used for the sick or those considered to be politically sensitive. Mr Nour was the latter. As a presidential candidate from the Al Ghad party and prominent critic of the regime, he said he was targeted by the state security apparatus. He says he was imprisoned on bogus charges of forgery related to the formation of the political party.
He was eventually released on medical grounds, but Mr Nour successfully lobbied in writing for an Egyptian court to retry the case so that he can have a fresh chance to argue his innocence.
While in prison, Mr Nour spent 20 hours of each day inside his cell, reading much of the time. He imagines if Mr Mubarak ends up in the cell, he would learn about the depths of loneliness. There is only a view of the mosque in the prison yard to look at from the cell window.
For many of Egypt's political prisoners, seeing the same elite officials who manipulated the system to stifle dissent and promote their interests end up facing trial or in prison is bittersweet. A sense of justice finally being served is toned down by the belief that no person should undergo the type of harsh treatment they endured during their incarceration.
"It feels like divine justice," said Saad Eddin Ibrahim, the director of the Cairo-based Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, which focuses on democratisation and the role of civil society.
Both of Mr Mubarak's sons are incarcerated in the same cell where Mr Ibrahim was held at Tora Prison from 2000 to 2003 for using foreign aid funds for election monitoring and making remarks that hurt Egypt's reputation.
He learned they were staying in his former cell when a prison guard, whom Mr Ibrahim had nicknamed the "evil one", left a message at his home in Maddi with the news. The cell was reportedly outfitted with bunk beds so the brothers could be together.
"He was my prison guard; now he is the prison guard of Gamal and Alaa," said Mr Ibrahim.
During his incarceration, Mr Ibrahim said he was subjected to sleep deprivation and for long stretches had no access to books or adequate health care. "Before I was imprisoned, I used to run for an hour every day in Maadi," he said. "I left in a wheelchair."
Still, watching the first day of Mr Mubarak's trial did not bring the complete relief he expected. Mr Ibrahim was an outspoken critic of the Mubarak regime, especially plans to have Gamal Mubarak take the reigns from his father in a transition of power. But he was also the thesis adviser in sociology to Suzanne Mubarak in sociology, the former first lady, and a professor to the sons at the American University of Cairo. He had met the president several times to advise on policy issues.
"I felt a bit sorry that they brought all of this on themselves," he said. "Had he ceded power early in the revolution, he could have entered history cordially, if not discourteously. But this is the problem with dictators from this region. They don't know when to leave."
If there was one thing for certain, Mr Ibrahim said, it is that presidents and leaders across the entire region watched Mr Mubarak utter "I entirely deny all these accusations" before judge Ahmed Rifaat on August 3. The case marked a sweeping moment in history for the Arab world.
"Every ruler in the region must be calculating as they see Mubarak in this cage, facing charges," Mr Ibrahim said. "They are rethinking and re-evaluating everything so that they can avoid the same fate."
bhope@thenational.ae
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULT
Norway 1 Spain 1
Norway: King (90 4')
Spain: Niguez (47')
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Blue%20Beetle
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Company%20profile
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Company%20Profile
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
CREW
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERajesh%20A%20Krishnan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETabu%2C%20Kareena%20Kapoor%20Khan%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Four%20scenarios%20for%20Ukraine%20war
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
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RESULTS
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