Egypt: Hosni Mubarak revived in prison hospital

Published on 12/06/2012 00:00

Doctors used a defibrillator twice on Hosni Mubarak when they could not find a pulse yesterday, the latest health crisis for the fallen Egyptian president since he was sentenced to life imprisonment and moved to a prison hospital nine days ago.

Officials said the 84-year-old Mubarak was slipping in and out of consciousness and was being fed liquids intravenously. Mubarak also lost consciousness several times on Sunday, and officials say he is suffering from high blood pressure, depression and breathing difficulties.

Mubarak’s health scare adds one more layer to Egypt’s turbulent political scene, with a run-off vote to choose his successor a few days away. His death would close a chapter of Egypt’s modern history that has divided the mainly Muslim nation of 85 million people.

His 29 years in power are the second longest by an Egyptian ruler since the 19th century, when the Ottoman general Mohammed Ali ruled for about 44 years until his death in 1849. While Ali went down in history as the founder of modern Egypt, Mubarak’s rule has been defined by corruption, police brutality and the behind-the-scenes rise to power of a coterie of regime-backed businessmen.

More than a year after a popular uprising swept him from office, Mubarak’s legacy lives on. The last prime minister to serve under him will go head-to-head in the 16-17 June election against a candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood, the fundamentalist group Mubarak cracked down on when in power.

Mubarak has been held in the intensive care ward of Torah prison hospital south of Cairo since 2 June, when he was convicted of failing to prevent the killing of protesters in the uprising that forced him from office in February 2011. He was sentenced to life in prison.

His two sons, one-time heir apparent Gamal, and wealthy businessman Alaa, were at his side yesterday. They are also being held at the prison, awaiting trial on insider trading charges.