Essam Sharaf, Egyptian Prime Minister, Says He'll Fire Police Accused Of Protestor Deaths

Egypt's Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has ordered the suspension of all police officers accused of killing protestors during the uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, reports the BBC.

The 18-day revolution that began in January left 846 people dead and many more injured.

In an address on state television on Saturday, Sharaf said Egypt's citizens are "the root of all sovereignty and source of all authority," and also announced that a panel would be created to expedite court cases against accused officers and others accused of corruption.

Sharaf was responding to the thousands of people who gathered on Friday in Cairo's Tahrir Square demanding the military rulers bring those responsible to justice, reports CNN.

There have already been many high-profile arrests, including Mr. Mubarak's sons and many of his top officials. The country's hated interior minister, Habib el-Adly, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on corruption charges, says The New York Times.

But earlier this week, seven police officers accused of killing demonstrators were released on bail, while a Cairo court acquitted three ministers accused of squandering public funds. So far, one police officer has been convicted in more than a dozen court cases, and he was tried in absentia, according to the BBC.