Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak left a Tora jail in a helicopter Thursday, headed to a military hospital to transition into house arrest.
On Wednesday, a court ordered Mubarak's release after his final corruption case settled. Under Egyptian law, prisoners can only be held for two years without a final verdict.
In May 2011, the deposed Mubarak was arrested on charges of killing peaceful protesters during the Egyptian revolution — a crime which he was later found guilty of. His sentence was life in prison, though it was later overturned. While he awaits retrial, the longtime autocrat will be kept under house arrest.
A Der Spiegel reporter on the ground described Mubarak's first moments out of jail:
#mubarak wearing dark sunglasses and white training suite when loaded from the heli to an ambulance, army snipers aiming at me taking pics
Matthias Gebauer
@gebauerspon
#mubarak wearing dark sunglasses and white training suite when loaded from the heli to an ambulance, army snipers aiming at me taking pics
/ Via#mubarak still treated like a president from soldiers of republican guard while arriving in maadi military hospital in #cairo #egypt
Matthias Gebauer
@gebauerspon
#mubarak still treated like a president from soldiers of republican guard while arriving in maadi military hospital in #cairo #egypt
/ Viafirst moment pf #mubarak in freedom (still under house arrest) was crossing the busy corniche at the nile in ambulance escorted by army
Matthias Gebauer
@gebauerspon
first moment pf #mubarak in freedom (still under house arrest) was crossing the busy corniche at the nile in ambulance escorted by army
/ Viaanother pic of #mubarak arriving at #cairo hospital for all the news junkies of you out there #egypt #cairo
Matthias Gebauer
@gebauerspon
another pic of #mubarak arriving at #cairo hospital for all the news junkies of you out there #egypt #cairo
The hospital reportedly reinforced its perimeter fence in preparation for Mubarak's arrival.