Egypt Could Release Mubarak on Thursday

As Corruption Charges Fade, Court Says Dictator Must Be Freed

Long-time Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak has been ordered released once again by a court today, insisting that with the corruption charges against him crumbling there is no longer any legal grounds to keep him in custody.

Mubarak is still facing charges for killing 900 protesters during 2011, which he was previously sentenced to life in prison for, but which he is appealing. The court says he can’t be held pending the appeal.

That’s going to be a tough this to retry Mubarak for in the current environment, as the current military junta has killed at least that many protesters just in the past week, and has been loudly defending doing so.

The release of Mubarak is expected to spark huge outrage among supporters of the 2011 revolution that removed him from office, and could give the current protests against last month’s coup a major shot in the arm. Officials say that once released, he’ll be placed under “house arrest,” but whether this will limit the backlash remains to be seen.

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.