Egypt court accepts prosecutor's request to keep Mubarak locked up
Judge keeps former president Hosni Mubarak behind bars after accepting prosecutor-general's challenge to recent decision ordering his release from jail
El-Sayed Gamal El-Din, Monday 22 Apr 2013
Egypt's ousted President Hosni Mubarak sits inside a dock at the police academy on the outskirts of Cairo (Photo: Reuters)
A Cairo criminal court has accepted an appeal submitted by Egypt's prosecution against an ealier release order granted to former president Hosni Mubarak in his trial over graft charges.
Mubarak will remain detained for at least a 15-day period pending further investigation into the case.
According to the text of the court ruling, the appeal was accepted because the release order was issued by the misdemeanor court which has no jurisdiction over the matter.
Release orders are under the jurisdiction of the criminal court, the ruling added.
Mubarak's lawyer Farid El-Dib told the media he would file a new appeal for the release of his client with the criminal court.
The 84-year old ousted president had arrived at the Police Academy in the morning.
Based on the defence argument that a procedural hearing should not be held in public, the presiding judge ordered all attendees and journalists to leave the court room.
On Saturday, a court had ordered Mubarak's release while investigations continue into the graft charges. Nevertheless, he remained in Tora Prison pending a verdict in a separate financial corruption case.
Earlier last week, a judge ordered Mubarak's release without bail pending a retrial over charges of complicity in the killing of protesters during the January 25 Revolution. He remained in jail due to the graft charges.
Last June, Mubarak received a life sentence for failing to prevent the killing of unarmed protesters during the revolution. In January, he was granted a retrial in the murder case due to procedural failings in the initial trial.
More updates to come soon
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