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Egyptian politicians and activists have condemned the acquittal of Hosni Mubarak and his former aides over the deaths of hundreds in the February 2011 revolution.

The former president, his former interior minister, Habib al-Adly, and several members of their administration were cleared by a Cairo court on Saturday, saying there was no case against them.

Nightmare in Egypt

Ayman Nour, the leader of the Ghad el-Thawra [Revolution of Tomorrow] Party, blasted the Egyptian judiciary.

"Demonstrators are sentenced to 15 years and hundreds of people are executed on the charge of killing a single person, while an acquittal is issued for those who killed hundreds. This justice is uglier than injustice.

If Mubarak [is] innocent, who is the legitimate president? Isn't it Mubarak? - Mohammed Abdul Aziz, Tamarod leader

"Our revolution was romantic, but its dreams have turned into nightmares, its revolutionaries into martyrs and its icons into traitors."

Mohammed al-Muhandes, a member of the higher committee of the Strong Egypt Party, told al-Araby al-Jadeed that the ruling was decided by a political establishment that stretched back to the revolution of 1952.

"The judicial rulings are not independent and are subject to the whims of the ruling authority," he said.

Abdul Rahman Yusuf, a poet and politician, expressed his anger online. "May God let you live longer, Mubarak, so the revolution can try you in a real trial where the people are the highest authority," he posted on Facebook.

Tarek al-Zumar, the head of the Construction and Development party, said the ruling must be a turning point for "rebuilding the 25 January revolution".

"The acquittal of Mubarak and his regime is the most effective thing for rallying the revolutionaries and continuing the revolution," he said.

On his Facebook page, Mohammed Abdul Aziz, the dissident leader of the Tamarod ["Rebellion"] movement, posted: "If Mubarak and the pillars of his regime are innocent, who is the legitimate president now? Isn't it Mubarak?"

Not the end

The former parliamentarian Saad Abboud, however, insisted the ruling was not final. "There is an appeal court, and the ruling was challenged by the prosecutor," he said.

"The revolution should have established a political court to try Mubarak for the crimes he committed against the country... like the squandering of national wealth, the impoverishment of the people, monopolising power and his attempt to pass on his position to his son Gamal."

Would Mubarak now have the right to claim compensation? "This will be determined after considering a challenge to the verdict," said Abboud. He noted that the new constitution stipulates the right of compensation for "precautionary custody".

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.