Hosni Mubarak, former president of Egypt, was released from prison on Thursday on moved to house arrest.
Mubarak, a dictator who had ruled Egypt for 29 years, was put behind bars shortly after the January 2011 uprising which removed him from his position. His release today comes just a day after he was cleared on corruption charges, although he still faces retrial for his alleged role in failing to prevent the deaths of protestors in the uprising against him, a charge for which the court initially sentenced him to life in prison, USA Today reports.
After Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi made the decision to release Mubarak to house arrest, he was flown from Tora Prison to Maadi Military Hospital, rather than to his home, due to his ailing health, The New York Times writes.
According to Haaretz, the ruling further deepened tensions between the divided nation. Many Egyptians who oppose the interim military government fear that while Mubarak likely has no political future, his release means his old order will be reinstated.
Photo courtesy of Takver, Wikimedia Commons