Court orders Mubarak release

August 21st, 2013

Peter Nolan

Small business owners and other Egyptians are exhausted by the ongoing clashes, and hope for a return to normalcy. Meanwhile, former president Hosni Mubarak could be released from jail. NBC’s Richard Engel reports.

Former hardline Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was ordered released from prison on Wednesday by a Cairo court and could be free within days, a symbol of how the unfolding crisis in the country seems to have erased the promise for democratic gains promised by the Arab Spring.

The fates of the pharaohs have turned over quickly in Egypt, with Mubarak potentially ready to walk out of Cairo’s Tora prison within the next 48 hours – while his democratically elected replacement Mohamed Morsi sits in an undisclosed military location.

A court reviewed a petition for the former leader’s release after corruption charges against him were thrown out on Monday, and the announcement on Wednesday means Mubarak, who was ousted amid Arab Spring protests in 2011, could walk out of prison by Sunday if not earlier, his lawyers said.

An Egyptian court has ordered Hosni Mubarak to be set free for the first time in more than two years; meanwhile, police arrested a key spiritual leader in the nation. NBC’s chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel, says these two political shifts could mean the new military-backed government wants to impose a Mubarak-like system.

The country’s general prosecutor said on Wednesday that he will not appeal the Cairo court’s decision, meaning Mubarak will follow the basic release procedures and will be free within a maximum of 48 hours. A lawyer for Mubarak said that he could leave prison as early as Thursday after paperwork is filed.

The authoritarian ex-ruler still faces other court cases, including a retrial on charges of complicity in the killing of protesters amidst the 2011 uprisings, but has already served the maximum amount of pretrial prison time allowed in the case, Reuters reported.

At 85, Mubarak may have no political future, but his release could stir emotions and raise questions about whether the popular uprising that ended his 30-year rule is leading to a new form of military government.

He is the second deposed ruler of Egypt to be behind bars.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Morsi, who was democratically elected in 2012 following the collapse of Mubarak’s regime, was ousted by the military on July 3.

Egypt remains deeply politically divided. Morsi’s removal sparked mass sit-in protest camps that were later cleared by security forces, backed by bulldozers – leading to violent clashes and the deaths of more than 800 civilians and 100 police and soldiers.

Although weakened by the death or arrest of some of its key leaders, Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood has vowed to bring down the army-backed interim government and has branded his ouster a “coup.”

Virginie Nguyen Hoang / AFP – Getty Images

Security forces backed by bulldozers forcefully closed pro-Morsi sit-ins, setting off clashes that killed hundreds of people.

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On Tuesday, authorities arrested the group’s leader, Mohamed Badie – but the group immediately appointed a temporary replacement – 69-year-old doctor Mahmoud Ezzat – who has has been described as the Brotherhood’s ‘iron man’.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel called for an end to the violence on Monday, reiterating an earlier call from President Obama.

“As President Obama said last week, the violence must end,” Hagel said, adding that the United States’ role in Egypt’s future is limited. “Our ability to influence the outcome in Egypt is limited.”

Nevertheless, no decision has been made on withholding U.S. aid to Egypt.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said a “review is ongoing” of U.S. aid, in “light of actions taken by the interim Egyptian government.”

NBC News’ Charlene Gubash and Reuters contributed to this report.

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This story was originally published on Wed Aug 21, 2013 4:34 AM EDT

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