Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been acquitted on corruption charges while the countries deposed democratic leader Mohammed Morsi remains detained.
According to CBS News, longtime leader Mubarak — ousted by an Arab Spring-inspired popular uprising in 2011 — was acquitted Monday of corruption charges by a Cairo court, and his lawyer said he expected him to be freed “within 48 hours.”
Lawyer Fareed El-Deeb confirmed to CBS News producer Alex Ortiz that Mubarak was acquitted on the corruption charges, which stem from allegations that he and his sons embezzled funds for work on presidential palaces.
In spite of El-Deeb’s prediction, however, it remained unclear whether Mubarak would actually be set free. He is still facing charges that he was complicit in the killing of hundreds of protesters by his security forces during the months of turmoil which led to his ouster, CBS reported.
Mubarak was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on those charges in June 2012, but the verdict was challenged on technicalities and the case was retried.
Judicial officials told the Associated Press, that Mubarak cannot be held in custody any longer on those charges because of a two-year limit pending a final verdict, according to CBS.
Police officers killed by militants in Sinai, say officials
The BBC reports that Islamic militants ambushed two mini-buses carrying off-duty policemen in the northern region of Egypt’s Sinai peninsula on Monday, killing 25 of them in a brazen daylight attack.
The killings, which took place near the border town of Rafah, came a day after 36 detainees were killed in clashes with security forces. In all, nearly 1,000 people have died since last Wednesday in conflicts between security forces and supporters of ousted president Morsi.
Tensions between the sides have been high since the military ousted Morsi in a July 3 coup, following days of protests by millions of Egyptians accusing him of abusing his powers and demanding his resignation.
Morsi’s supporters, however, have fought back, staging demonstrations demanding his reinstatement and denouncing the military coup.
