Thursday 14 April 2011

Hosni Mubarak detained in hospital

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has been placed under detention in his hospital room. His two sons, Gamal and Alaa, have also been detained and will be questioned in due course.

The news has been greeted with cheers by the opposition leaders responsible for brining down Mubarak's administration in February. Egypt's prosecutor general has detained the former president and his two sons, ahead of the impending investigation. Mubarak is reportedly suffering with heart problems and is in an "unstable condition".

The protests in Egypt have continued with tens of thousans of protesters staging weekly Friday demonstration in Tahrir Square. The Egyptian people are demanding that Mubarak be put on trial for the deaths of their fellow protesters and alleged abuse of power during his three decade reign.

It is estimated that around 360 people have been killed during the protests and hundreds more injured. Opposition within Egypt, however, is primarily concerted with the Mubarak family's wealth and how it was obtained. Experts claim that most of it was acquired through corrupt business dealings; others suggest that Gamal and Alaa, used their political clout to pressured domestic companies into giving them shares without paying the market price.

Some opposition groups have expressed suspicions over the timing of Mubarak's heart problems as initial reports indicated he was well enough to undergo questioning. The former Egyptian leader has rarely been seen since his departure in February, and has reportedly been staying at his holiday villa in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Sources: BBC, The Guardian, Boston Globe

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

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