Official: Egypt court orders release of ex-president Mubarak, unsure if he will go free

The Associated Press
August 21, 2013 at 2:14PM
This image made from video broadcast on Egyptian state television shows former President Hosni Mubarak inside the defendant's cage in a courtroom in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, May 11, 2013.
This image made from video broadcast on Egyptian state television shows former President Hosni Mubarak inside the defendant's cage in a courtroom in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, May 11, 2013. (Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

CAIRO — Officials say an Egyptian court has ordered the release of ex-President Hosni Mubarak, but it's not immediately clear whether the prosecutors will appeal the order.

The Wednesday decision comes in a hearing on charges against Mubarak of accepting gifts from a state-owned newspaper, the last case that has kept the ailing leader in detention.

It raises the possibility that Mubarak will walk free, a move that is likely to fuel the unrest roiling the country after the autocratic leader's successor was removed in a military coup last month. The officials spoke anonymously because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

Mubarak, 85, has been held since April 2011. He's now on trial for the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising against him and other charges.

Graffiti shows the face of ousted Egyptian president Mohammad Morsi, left, and former President Hosni Mubarak blended together in Cairo, Aug. 20, 2013.
Graffiti shows the face of ousted Egyptian president Mohammad Morsi, left, and former President Hosni Mubarak blended together in Cairo, Aug. 20, 2013. (Nyt - Nyt/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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SARAH EL DEEB