Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian autocrat toppled during the 2011 Arab Spring, was freed Friday from the military hospital where he spent much of the past six years in detention. Mubarak had been cleared for release earlier this month after a top court finally acquitted him of involvement in protester deaths during the 2011 revolt that ousted him. In January 2016, the appeals court upheld a three-year prison sentence for Mubarak and his two sons on corruption charges. "Many now consider that Mubarak's regime itself was better than the current regime when it comes to freedom of thought and organisation. In the few years before his overthrow, Mubarak had begun to loosen his grip on political life and the media, allowing for some protests and criticism.

Source: Egypt Independent March 24, 2017 18:33 UTC