Former president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, died at the age of 91 on Tuesday. He died in a hospital in Cairo where he was kept in intensive care after undergoing an unspecified surgery, reported Reuters.
Mubarak ruled Egypt for three long decades before he was forced to step down on February 11, 2011, owing to a popular uprising against corruption and autocratic rule. Before becoming president, he was the commander of the Egyptian Air Force from 1972 to 1975. He assumed the presidency after the assassination of former President Anwar al-Sadat, who appointed him vice-president.
Mubarak was arrested two months after he was ousted and then was made to spend several years in jail and military hospitals. He was sentenced to life in prison for conspiring to murder over 200 protesters during the 18-day revolt that led to his ousting. But, he was freed from jail in 2017 after being cleared of the charges.
Egypt’s government has announced three days of public mourning for ex-President Hosni Mubarak, who is to be buried in a military funeral.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi offered condolences and praised Mubarak’s service during the 1973 war with Israel. The Egyptian presidency released a statement in which it said it mourns with great sorrow Mubarak’s death.
“The Presidency mourns with great sorrow the former President of the Republic, Mr. Mohammed Hosni Mubarak,” the statement read.
The statement called Mubarak as one of the leaders and heroes of the glorious October war, as he assumed command of the Air Force during the war that restored dignity and pride to the Arab nation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also mourned Mubarak.
“In the name of the citizens of Israel and the Israeli government, I would like to express deep sorrow on the death of President Hosni Mubarak,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
Netanyahu said his personal friend former President Hosni Mubarak was a leader who led his people to peace and security, to peace with Israel.
