Mubarak's trial: A Victory for Democracy

A CNN Global public square report on this stunning humiliation for the the former president who was Egypt's military dictator for nearly 30 years.

The sight of Egypt's one-time most powerful man brought on a hospital bed into defendants' cage, made of iron bars and metal mesh was quite a spectacle. With him in the cage were his nine co-defendants, including his two sons — one-time heir apparent Gamal and wealthy businessman Alaa — his former interior minister Habib el-Adly, and six top former police officials.

There is no doubt that these proceedings will be closely watched by the Arab world where there is no tradition of democracy.