Mubarak Death Reports Premature, But Condition Critical, Reports Say

Hosni Mubarak, the ousted Egyptian leader was revived after being pronounced clinically dead in a hospital on Tuesday night, his family told the media on Wednesday.

Mubarak, 84, is on a respirator, a lawyer for his family told Al Jazeera.

Other reports said the former leader was in a deep coma, but again a medical source told the state-run Al-Ahram daily newspaper that he was simply unconscious.

The source added, however, that the next three days are critical for Mubarak, adding that he could survive. But he may not ever regain his physical and mental capabilities, and could suffer impaired vision and poor concentration because of a stroke he suffered.

When reports surfaced that Mubarak, the second leader to be ousted during last year’s Arab Spring protests, was clinically dead, a crowd of thousands of demonstrators in Tahrir Square cheered and set off fireworks.

Some demonstrators believe that reports from state run media about Mubarak’s condition and his death has been orchestrated by the junta that took power last year.

“The military just wanted to make big news that would eclipse the Tahrir protests about the ruling military council, the elections, and the amended constitution,” Mohammed Tarek, 27, told Ahram.

“It worked; the media suddenly started talking about Mubarak, and people started to leave the square.”