CAIRO: Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was hospitalized this week due to a drop in blood pressure, and his condition is stable, state media reported late Saturday. Mubarak, who is suspected of involvement in the deaths of anti-regime protesters, was previously reported to have suffered a heart attack during questioning by prosecutors on Tuesday. But the MENA state news agency reported that the 82-year-old had suffered from a "steep decline in blood pressure" at the time, citing an unnamed medical official. "An ultra-sound was taken of his heart and it showed it was functioning at 73 percent [of its capacity], which means his health condition has become stable," MENA said. Mubarak was placed in intensive care on Tuesday before being remanded in custody for 15 days. The public prosecutor has ordered his transfer to a military hospital on the outskirts of Cairo, but MENA reported it was unclear when the former strongman would be moved. Mubarak had been confined to a villa in Sharm El-Sheikh since 18-day long protests forced him to resign on February 11. His two sons, Alaa and Gamal, are in prison in the capital's south, and face similar accusations. The complex, once home to political prisoners, now hosts a growing number of former regime officials, including Mubarak's interior minister and his former party's leadership.
