Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Security sources have revealed that former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak’s health deteriorated further yesterday at Tora prison, where he was transferred following the end of his trial and his conviction and sentence of life imprisonment on charges of failing to stop the killing of protesters during the 25 January revolution in Egypt.
An Egyptian Interior Ministry source informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Mubarak’s health has deteriorated significantly over the past few days, and that his health has now reached a “dangerous state.” The sources also revealed that Mubarak suffered a panic attack following his transfer to Tora prison, and that his health deteriorated even further following a visit by his wife, Suzanne Mubarak, and his daughters-in-law, on his second day in Tora prison.
The source claimed that Mubarak suffered an intense panic attack and shortness of breath at Tora prison, whilst he was also said to be in a very depressed state of mind following his conviction. Another source revealed that Mubarak’s health was weak even prior to his transfer to Tora prison and that he suffered from high blood pressure and heart palpitations prior to his conviction.
Legal sources close to the Mubarak family revealed that his health has deteriorated significantly and that the Tora prison medical team had been forced to give him oxygen in order to stabilize his breathing.
For his part, Mubarak’s lawyer Yusri Abdul Rezak revealed that the former president’s defense team had issued a request to Egyptian Prosecutor-General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud for Mubarak to be transferred from the Tora prison hospital to a specialist hospital in Cairo.
Abdul-Rezak revealed that the Egyptian prosecutor-general had responded that this decision rests with the Egyptian Interior Ministry, however he stressed that Tora prison is not qualified to deal with Mubarak’s health concerns, adding that if Mubarak is not transferred, then his defense team – along with Mubarak supporters – intend to hold a sit-in at the office of the prosecutor-general. Mubarak’s lawyer called on the former president to be transferred to a military or specialist prison in Cairo to deal with his health problems.
These developments take place at a time when protests against the verdict issued in the Mubarak trial are intensifying, particularly regarding the acquittal of a number of senior Interior Ministry figures. Egyptian lawyer Mohamed El-Damati – who is the legal representative of a number of families of victims killed during the Tahrir Square demonstrations – revealed that a popular trial against Mubarak will be held in Tahrir Square on Friday, in cooperation with the Alliance of Revolution Forces group. He said this “popular trial” will try Mubarak for the crimes he committed over his 30 year reign, as well as during the Egyptian revolution, adding that a large number of civil claimants intend to take part in this trial.
In addition to this, the Cairo Criminal Court, headed by Judge Ahmed Refaat, published its complete verdict on the Mubarak case. Mubarak and former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly are expected to appeal their conviction to the Egyptian Court of Cassation.
The court confirmed that it was clear from the court documents and deliberations that Mubarak, along with al-Adly, were well aware of what was going on in Egypt at the time of the revolution, including the violence directed at peaceful demonstration on 28 January 2011 which resulted in a number of deaths. The court verdict added that the testimonies of a number of senior figures – including former vice president Omar Suleiman and Supreme Council of the Armed Forces [SCAF] chairman Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi and others – that former president Mubarak was in a position to order an immediate halt to the killings and violence being directed at the protesters but failed to do so. The court also stated that Mubarak had committed this crime as president of the country, not an officer in the armed forces, which is why he was being tried in a civilian court rather than by a military tribunal, as some of his supporters had called for.
Judge Ahmed Refaat said that “the peaceful sons of this nation came out from every deep valley, each struggling against injustice, dismay, oppression and humiliation. They headed towards Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt’s capita, demanding only justice, freedom and democracy…from those who held a tight grip on them and committed grave sins, tyranny and corruption.”
As for the court’s decision to acquit six senior security officials, the Egyptian judge said “evidence in the case lacked audio or visual recordings which would inspire confidence and could be used legally in court as proof that those sitting here are the actual people (who committed the crimes.”
He added “the case lacked definitive technical evidence to prove that the injuries were caused by political weapons, and all the medical documents and papers of those killed and injured are not evidence of murder.”