Cairo (CNN) -- Hosni Mubarak should be tried by a special tribunal
because he is still president of Egypt and did not sign an official
resignation, his lawyer said Sunday.
"He gave up the presidency
orally to former vice-president Omar Suleiman without signing any
official document, which is not legal by the constitution," lawyer Farid
El Deeb said.
The court proceedings were recounted to CNN by civil rights lawyer Khaled Abu Bakr, who attended the hearing.
Last
week, El Deeb called for Mubarak to be tried in a military court,
saying military law dictates that he is still the head of the Egyptian
air force.
Mubarak is accused of corruption and ordering
protesters killed during the country's uprising that brought his 30-year
rule to an end in February.
He has denied the charges.
Two of Mubarak's sons are also on trial on a variety of charges. The sons, Gamal and Alaa, have pleaded not guilty.
Amnesty
International had estimated more than 840 protesters were killed and
6,000 injured. A prosecutor's spokesman cited 225 people killed and more
than 1,300 injured, saying the number is lower because there is a
difference between those killed while attacking police stations and
those shot while protesting
