Mubarak Freed From Prison

Hosni Mubarak, wearing a white shirt and loafers while flashing a smile, was released from prison today and transported to a military hospital in a Cairo suburb where he will be held under house arrest. Footage on private TV stations showed the helicopter carrying the 85-year-old Mubarak landing at the pad outside the military hospital, which sits on the banks of the Nile. He was immediately transported to an ambulance and moved across the street to the hospital.

Mubarak flashed a smile and held his arms behind his head while medics pushed his gurney into the ambulance. Despite his release, the ousted leader still faces retrial on charges of complicity in the killing of protesters in the 2011 uprising against him, which could put him back behind bars. His court case resumes next week. He also is being investigated in at least two other corruption cases. The release threatened to stoke the unrest as the Arab nation is already roiled in a crisis over a military coup against Mohamed Morsi. (More Hosni Mubarak stories.)