Egypt’s Mubarak Rushed to Hospital After Heart Attack

State Media Speculates Visit a 'Plot' to Escape Interrogation

Aging former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak was rushed to the hospital in Sharm al-Sheik today when he had an apparent heart attack just before a planned interrogation for graft and human rights abuses.

Mubarak, who has been in poor health, was in intensive care, but officials with the hospital say he has already stabilized his condition and is able to be questioned again. The protesters who removed Mubarak from power earlier this year have been demanding he be brought to account for the violent crackdowns against dissent.

But the issue isn’t so cut and dry for officials, as the Egyptian state media is speculating that Mubarak’s “heart issue” may have been a ploy to escape interrogation. He has been in the resort town of Sharm al-Sheik since his ouster.

Mubarak issued a recorded video statement on state television over the weekend denying the charges, saying that he behaved appropriately at all times and that the allegations were all lies. He also suggested he would file lawsuits against his critics to protect his reputation.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.