Mubarak helped into an ambulance after being flown to Maadi military hospital
Mubarak helped into an ambulance after being flown to Maadi military hospital (haaretz.com)

Egypt's deposed president Hosni Mubarak has been released from Tora prison and flown out by helicopter to Maadi military hospital in Cairo before he is put under house arrest.

As the medically equipped helicopter landed at the prison, dozens of the ousted leader's supporters waiting outside cheered. He has spent more than two years in detention.

Mubarak, 85, will be retried on charges of conspiracy to kill protesters but he has already served the maximum permissable amount of time in pre-trail detention.

According to Matthias Gebauer, chief correspondent for Der Spiegel, Mubarak was wearing sunglasses and white training shirt when he boarded the helicopter.

Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi ordered house arrest for the fallen dictator to deflect criticism over his release from prison.

His release may cause further turbulence in Egypt, where the army ousted the country's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, on 3 July.

Mubarak ruled Egypt for 30 years and was removed amid a wave of popular protest in February 2011.

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