Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Amidst a state of uncertainty and secrecy over the health of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and conflicting reports coming from sources inside the Maadi Military Hospital where he was transferred late Tuesday, Yusri Abdul Razeq, head of Mubarak’s legal team, informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “the former president’s health has relatively improved and is becoming more stable after he responded to medical treatment yesterday, although his health is not completely stable.”
Mubarak was reported to have been in a coma and on life support on Wednesday after suffering a stroke in prison late Tuesday. Egypt State news agency MENA had reported that the former presidency had been declared “clinically dead” adding “his heart stopped beating and did not respond to defibrillation.”
However Abdul Razeq denied these reports, stressing that his client had not been pronounced clinically dead. He revealed that Mubarak is suffering daily health crises and losses of consciousness, blaming this on “the poor medical conditions at Tora prison”.
The head of Mubarak’s legal defense team also confirmed that a medical team made up of 15 doctors, including cardiac, neurological, and cardiovascular experts, had arrived at the Maadi Military Hospital early Wednesday to oversee the treatment of the former president. This is the same medical team that had been treating Mubarak at the Egyptian International Medical Center during the 10 months leading up to his trial. However following his conviction on charges of failing to prevent the deaths of Egyptian demonstrators during the 25 January revolution, Mubarak was immediately transferred to Tora prison. Mubarak’s lawyers had raised questions regarding the medical capabilities of Tora prison and had been petitioning Egyptian authorities to transfer their client to a private military hospital when he reportedly suffered a stroke.
Abdul Razeq has renewed calls for Mubarak to be immediately released from prison on health grounds, according to the Egyptian constitution, citing the severe deterioration in the health of the former Egyptian president. He also revealed that Mubarak’s legal team has filed proceedings before the Egyptian Administrative Court in Cairo calling for the issuance of a court ruling to compel the Egyptian General Prosecutor, Interior Minister and head of the Prison Service to release the former president on health grounds, according to Article 36 of the Penal Code. He added that he is calling for an urgent session with the Administrative Court to settle this issue.
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak returned to the headlines after being transferred to the Maadi Military Hospital on Tuesday from Tora prison amidst tight security after reportedly suffering a stroke. Media reports claim that Mubarak was placed on life support and subject to defibrillation to revive him.
Maadi Military Hospital announced a state of emergency on Wednesday and was granted additional troops to secure the hospital’s grounds, regulate the movement of all those entering and exiting the hospital and prevent any of the other patients being affected by Mubarak’s presence. The Maadi Military Hospital has declined to issue any statement or comment to any local or international media outlet, whilst hospital security has been beefed up to deal with the increased media and public scrutiny following Mubarak’s arrival. Supporters of the former president have also appeared outside the military hospital, claiming they are there to see Mubarak and check on his health.
However the New York Times quoted Abdul Razeq as denying that Mubarak has suffered a stroke, but rather that he suffered a fall in the Tora prison bathroom, which resulted in a blood clot on his neck. Abdul Razeq also reportedly claimed that Mubarak had been removed from Tora prison at 5 p.m. – long before the reports of the former president’s near death began to appear.
He added “we were surprised at what we can call a media mania in Egypt last night.”
Media sources also claimed that Suzanne Mubarak, Hosni Mubarak’s wife, along with his two daughters-in-law had visited him yesterday, whilst the former Egyptian First Lady remained at her husband’s bedside throughout the night. Sources claimed that Suzanne Mubarak sobbed and cried and has asked Egyptian authorities to allow her sons, Alaa and Gamal Mubarak, who are currently being held in Tora prison, to visit their father at Maadi Military Hospital.
For its part, the Egyptian Prison Service refused to allow Mubarak’s sons to accompany him to the military prison on Tuesday, after they requested they be allowed to do so in light of their father’s deteriorating health condition. Alaa and Gamal Mubarak are currently being held in Tora Prison pending a trial on charges of stock-market related corruption.