Egypt's court withdraws from hearing appeal against Mubarak

An Egyptian criminal court withdrew Thursday from hearing an appeal by the prosecution against a judicial decision to release ex-President Hosni Mubarak over investigations on charges of illicit gains, official MENA news agency reported. The withdrawal of North Cairo Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Mohamed Amer Gado, was based on a sense of "uneasiness" to review the appeal as the same court with the same presiding judge accepted a similar appeal in April and decided to continue Mubarak 's detention over the illicit gains case. On Tuesday, North Cairo Misdemeanor Court decided to temporarily release Mubarak over investigations in the case of illicit gains after Mubarak's lawyer pleaded that his client's legal temporary detention term had expired. The prosecution appealed the release on the same day. Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for almost 30 years, is also awaiting a retrial over charges of killing protesters in the 2011 upheaval that led to his downfall. Mubarak was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 2012, but he appealed the verdict and the court accepted his appeal and decided his retrial that started in May. The coming retrial session is scheduled for July 6. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Giza Criminal Court decided to temporarily release former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif over illicit gains charges, yet he has to remain in custody over other corruption cases.