- Global Voices - https://globalvoices.org -

Egypt: Is Mubarak Dead?

Categories: Middle East & North Africa, Egypt, Citizen Media, Health, Politics

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011 [1].

Is ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak dead? This question is being raised on social networking sites for the umpteenth time. Here is how Twitter users reacted to the latest round of rumours.

According to news reports [2], Mubarak is “slipping in and out of consciousness.” The news comes days after Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the killing of protesters during the Egyptian revolution, which brought an end to his 32-year rule.

Activist Rasha Abdulla announces:

@RashaAbdulla [3]: Strong rumors of #Mubarak’s death. #Egypt

Fellow activist Hossam El Hamalawy reacts:

@3arabawy [4]: Whether Mubarak is dead or alive, we still need to overthrow the workplace Mubaraks http://is.gd/DQKdGP #RevSoc

And Marwa Elnaggar reminds us:

@marwame [5]: #Mubarak isn't a person. Mubarak is a regime. Rumor has it the person is sick & dying. Fact is, the regime is alive & kicking. #Egypt

Meanwhile, journalist Tom Gara suspects foul play. He writes:

@tomgara [6]: Given how zealously Egyptian authorities used to guard news of Mubarak's health, aren't these recent leaks transparent attempts at spin?

In 2008, Al Dustour's editor-in-chief Ibrahim Essa was jailed [7] for speculating about Mubarak's health.

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011 [1].

Thumbnail image of Hosni Mubarak by U.S. federal government, available in public domain [8].