Egypt's former ruler Hosni Mubarak has been released from prison and transferred to a Cairo military hospital.
Mubarak was flown out of Cairo's Tora prison by helicopter after an Egyptian prosecutor ordered his release.
On August 21, a Cairo court decided in favor of Mubarak’s conditional release. However, the office of interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi has said Mubarak would be placed under house arrest.
Mubarak's conditional release came in connection with a corruption case in which the former president was charged with accepting gifts from state-owned media company Al Ahram.
It was the fourth case in which courts have ordered the former ruler's release since April.
Mubarak, 85, was forced to resign in February 2011 following massive protests against his 30-year rule. He has been in custody since April 2011.
He was sentenced last year to life in prison for complicity in the killing of protesters in early 2011, but a retrial was later ordered after his appeal was upheld.
That retrial began in May, but Mubarak has already served the maximum pretrial detention time.
Mubarak's release is threatening to spark more unrest in the world's largest Arab nation.
Egypt is under a state of emergency amid deadly violence that accompanied the interim government's crackdown on supporters of Islamist President Muhammad Morsi, who was ousted by the army on July 3.
Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, won a tight presidential poll in June 2012, becoming Egypt's first democratically elected president.
However, Egyptians became increasingly divided over what was perceived by some as attempts by the Muslim Brotherhood to acquire more power.
Social unrest prompted by an ongoing economic crisis was also behind huge anti-Islamist protests, which eventually led to Morsi's ouster by the army.
Mubarak was flown out of Cairo's Tora prison by helicopter after an Egyptian prosecutor ordered his release.
On August 21, a Cairo court decided in favor of Mubarak’s conditional release. However, the office of interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi has said Mubarak would be placed under house arrest.
Mubarak's conditional release came in connection with a corruption case in which the former president was charged with accepting gifts from state-owned media company Al Ahram.
It was the fourth case in which courts have ordered the former ruler's release since April.
Mubarak, 85, was forced to resign in February 2011 following massive protests against his 30-year rule. He has been in custody since April 2011.
He was sentenced last year to life in prison for complicity in the killing of protesters in early 2011, but a retrial was later ordered after his appeal was upheld.
That retrial began in May, but Mubarak has already served the maximum pretrial detention time.
Mubarak's release is threatening to spark more unrest in the world's largest Arab nation.
Egypt is under a state of emergency amid deadly violence that accompanied the interim government's crackdown on supporters of Islamist President Muhammad Morsi, who was ousted by the army on July 3.
Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, won a tight presidential poll in June 2012, becoming Egypt's first democratically elected president.
However, Egyptians became increasingly divided over what was perceived by some as attempts by the Muslim Brotherhood to acquire more power.
Social unrest prompted by an ongoing economic crisis was also behind huge anti-Islamist protests, which eventually led to Morsi's ouster by the army.