Egypt’s prosecutor general has ordered the detention of former President Hosni Mubarak, ahead of an investigation into corruption and abuse allegations.
He is reported to be in an “unstable condition” a day after being admitted to hospital with heart problems. He has been ordered detained for 15 days.
His sons Alaa and Gamal have also been detained amid allegations of corruption and violence, police say.
Mubarak stood down in February after a popular uprising against his rule.
Since then, tens of thousands of protesters have staged weekly Friday protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.
They want the ousted president put on trial for the deaths of protesters and alleged abuse of power during his 30-year rule.
Official records show that 360 people were killed during the protests, but rights groups put the figure at about 800 dead and hundreds more wounded.
The general public is suspicious at the timing of Mubarak’s heart problems and worried that ill-health, combined with old age, could prevent him from being tried, our correspondent says. (BBC)
