
Can’t imagine this is going to go over well with the Egyptian street.
CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court ordered Wednesday the release of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, but it is not yet clear if the ailing ex-leader will walk free after over two years in detention, officials said.
Prosecutors may appeal the order, which comes following a hearing on charges against Mubarak of accepting gifts from a state-owned newspaper, the last case that has kept him in detention. It is not known if they will file they appeal.
The possibility of Mubarak going free is likely to fuel the unrest already roiling the country after the autocratic leader’s successor, Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, was removed in a military coup last month.
Top prison official Mostafa Baz told the private CBC TV station that his offices will ask the prosecutors Thursday if Mubarak is wanted in other cases. If not, he would be set free.
The hearing was held in Tora prison, where Mubarak, 85, has been held for most of his detention since April 2011. Officials cited security concerns as the reason for holding it in the sprawling, tightly secured facility.
Mubarak is now on trial for the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising against him and other charges.
