CAIRO(Reuters) — An Egyptian court Wednesday ordered the release of former President Hosni Mubarak, providing another potential flash point in a country reeling from unprecedented political violence.
Contrary Egypt's public prosecutor ordered on Monday the detention of deposed President Mohamed Mursi for 15 days pending an investigation into allegations he participated in "violent acts", state news agency MENA said. On Thursday, Egyptian judicial authorities extended Mursi's detention period for 30 days in a separate case.
Mursi, who was overthrown by the army on July 3, is being held at an undisclosed location on allegations of murder and spying. The new case centers on protests that took place in front of the presidential palace last December, MENA said.
Back to Hosni Mubarak tale, a judge in Cairo said there were no legal grounds to hold the 85-year-old former autocrat under allegations of corruption related to gifts he had received from a state publishing house while in office. As part of a settlement, Mr. Mubarak repaid the state several million dollars for the gifts, which included watches and jewelry.
Prosecutors Have 48 Hours to Challenge Decision
Prosecutors have 48 hours under Egyptian law to challenge the judge's decision. In a statement, the prosecutor general's office said it couldn't appeal the judge's decision to release Mr. Mubarak because he had paid restitution.
The judge's decision comes as opponents of Egypt's new interim government continue their weekslong protests against the military's ouster of Mohammed Morsi , Mr. Mubarak's successor and Egypt's first freely elected president. More than 1,000 people have died in internecine political violence over the past six weeks, the deadliest episode of political change in Egypt's modern history.
For many Egyptians, Mr. Mubarak's release will act as a symbol of a resurgent old order, 2½ years after Egypt's tumultuous revolution began. Mr. Morsi, an Islamist and stalwart opponent of Mr. Mubarak, is currently in jail.
Mr. Mubarak's draconian emergency law that Mr. Morsi's supporters rolled back was renewed last week, and the country's military is once again managing the affairs of state from behind the scenes.
As Mr. Mubarak prepares to leave prison, Egypt's interim government is continuing to round up leaders in the Muslim Brotherhood that Mr. Mubarak long suppressed. Just Tuesday, police detained the once-powerful organization's leader, Mohammed Badie .
Mr. Mubarak still faces a retrial on capital charges of murdering protesters during the early 2011 uprising that ousted him. But the court determined on Monday that Mr. Mubarak was eligible for release because his custody period exceeds the allowable two years under Egyptian law.
—Leila Elmergawi contributed to this article.
-----
By MATT BRADLEY, TAMER EL-GHOBASHY AND Tom Perry and Shadia Nasralla; editing by Crispian Balmer
No comments:
Post a Comment