Egypt clears 4 top police in killing of protesters

CAIRO – A Cairo court has found four senior policemen not guilty of the killing of protesters during last year's popular uprising, the latest acquittal of officials charged in connection to the 850 deaths caused by the crackdown.

The court on Thursday acquitted the four, all of whom held the rank of general, without further explanation.

They were among 200 security officers and other former regime officials facing charges stemming from the deaths of protesters during January and February 2011 unrest that led to the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak himself received a life sentence for not preventing the killings, but the vast majority of the police have been acquitted or their trials are still ongoing.

Critics say the acquittals leave unanswered the question of who was to blame for the deaths.