Trials continue against former longtime ruler, including for killing hundreds of protesters. Experts fear mubarak's release after two years and four months in pretrial detention could further aggravate tensions in the country.
Protests against the 85-year-old's release from prison are planned for this friday. At the same time, supporters of the muslim brotherhood, which was repressed under mubarak, and other islamist groups want to take to the streets to protest the deaths of 36 demonstrators in police custody. They announced a "martyrs' day". New riots are feared. Many hundreds of people have died in unrest in recent weeks since the overthrow of the islamist government of elected president mohammed mursi.
Mubarak was president of the most populous arab country for almost 30 years. After mass protests, the military forced him to resign in february 2011. On wednesday, a court had ordered his release. However, the government ordered house arrest for mubarak shortly thereafter in order to avoid new unrest. She invoked the state of emergency imposed after the recent street battles between the police and the islamists who were ousted in july.
A few dozen supporters of the ex-president waited in front of the fan gate on thursday to cheer for him. But they only met a deeply veiled daughter of the deputy head of the muslim brotherhood, chairat al-shater, who was imprisoned in the same prison. Khadija, who had come to visit her father, took advantage of the presence of numerous reporters to protest the release of mubarak.
Mubarak was accused of corruption in two trials and of killing the demonstrators in another trial. This main trial will continue on sunday. The maximum period of custody for this purpose had expired.
The saudi royal family, in particular, is said to have lobbied cairo several times for the release of the former head of state. Saudi arabia has pledged substantial financial support to the new transitional government.
Meanwhile, more and more members of the muslim brotherhood are disappearing behind bars. In the night to thursday, the police arrested the spokesman ahmed aref. The islamist muslim brotherhood, which had been banned and underground for decades under mubarak, was ousted by the military in july. Mursi, who comes from the muslim brotherhood, was deposed and imprisoned at the time.
Aref had urged muslim brother supporters in recent days to continue their protests despite the arrest of leaders. Meanwhile, about one-third of the muslim brotherhood's top leadership is in custody under investigation. On thursday, the police also arrested mustafa ghoneim, a member of the muslim brotherhood's supreme council.
Bloggers and activists protested in social networks against mubarak's release from liability. Several so-called revolutionary groups launched a campaign. They declared that mubarak and officials of his regime must be brought before a revolutionary court. The youth movement 6. April and other protest groups plan to demonstrate this friday in front of a justice building in cairo.
On wednesday, the EU states decided to stop supplying weapons and good to the nile river for the time being, because of the bloody protests in egypt over the past few days.
A few dozen, mainly young demonstrators demonstrated on thursday in front of the embassies of the USA, turkey and the qatari embassy against "interference in egypt's internal affairs".
