Supporters of ousted president Hosni Mubarak gathered in front of Cairo's El-Maadi military hospital on Wednesday in protest against the decision to transfer the former president to Tora Prison, located on the capital's outskirts, causing Egypt's interior ministry to reconsider the relocation due to security reasons.
The plan of transferring Mubarak might change based on the security situation in front of the hospital, which will be coordinated by the Ministry of Defence, said an official source.
Egypt's public prosecution decided to transfer Mubarak to Tora Prison on Wednesday after a report confirmed that the 83-year-old's health condition does not require him to stay at the military hospital in Maadi.
One of the protesters, who call themselves 'Mubarak sons', attempted to burn himself alive in disapproval of Mubarak's transfer on Wednesday, reported Al-Ahram Arabic language news website.
However, protesters managed to rescue him after the he poured fuel on his body in front of the armed forces hospital in Cairo's Maadi district.
Hassan El-Ghandour, a former conscript in Mubarak's presidential guard and one of the protesters at the military hospital, said about 300 protesters rallied in front of the hospital's four gates with plans to not leave and continue a hunger strike in refusal of the decision.
“If Mubarak was transported by helicopter without going out from the hospital gates, then we will go straight to Tora Prison. We don’t have anything more to say to the revolutionaries,” said El-Ghandour.
He added that some of the former presidential guards are participating in the stand.
He also refused the claim against Mubarak's involvement in illegal use of public funds and the killing of protesters.
Some protesters allegedly tried to storm the military hospital, but security forces halted the attempt.
Earlier on Wednesday, an official source told Al-Ahram Arabic language news website that ousted president Hosni Mubarak will be transferred by helicopter from a military hospital in Cairo's Maadi district to a hospital in Tora Prison.
Mubarak, who was toppled in 2011 by Egypt's January 25 Revolution, continues to face charges of complicity in the murder of unarmed anti-regime protesters during the 18-day uprising, as well as other corruption charges.
Last week, the prosecutor-general announced that Mubarak would be detained for an additional 15 days pending investigation into fresh charges related to the illegal use of state funds.
In June 2012, Mubarak received a life sentence for failing to prevent the killing of protesters. In January 2013, however, he was granted a retrial due to procedural irregularities in the initial trial.
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