Deposed Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak will leave jail as early as today after a court ruling that jolted a divided nation already in turmoil seven weeks after the army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Convening yesterday at the Cairo jail where Mubarak is held, the court ordered the release of the military man who ruled Egypt for 30 years until he was overthrown during the uprisings that swept the Arab world in early 2011.

Asked when his client would go free, Mubarak’s lawyer, Fareed al-Deeb, said: “Maybe tomorrow.”

Mubarak, 85, was sentenced to life in prison last year for failing to prevent the killing of demonstrators. But a court accepted his appeal earlier this year and ordered a retrial.

The ailing ex-president probably has no political future, but the court ruling, which state prosecutor Ahmed el-Bahrawi said cannot be appealed, made some Egyptians indignant.

“The army has brought back Mubarak’s regime, the same regime,” said Guma Abdel Alim, outside a bicycle shop in central Cairo. “Those who were elected by the people are now in prison.”

He was referring to a widescale security sweep on Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood that has netted many of its leaders.

The army has brought back his regime, the same one

Shopworker Rubi Abdel Azim said Mubarak had been the worst ruler in Egypt’s history, but a passerby in a worn-out shirt disagreed. “He was the greatest president,” said Nagi Hassan.

Political turbulence has kept Egypt on edge for months. At least 900 people, including 100 soldiers and police, have been killed in a crackdown on Morsi supporters in the past week, making it the country’s bloodiest internal episode in decades.

The US and the EU are both reviewing aid to Cairo in light of the bloodshed, but Saudi Arabia, a foe of the Brotherhood, has promised to make up any shortfall.

There was no immediate reaction to the ruling on Mubarak from the Brotherhood, whose leaders are mostly behind bars.

Mubarak is still being retried on charges of complicity in the killing of protesters during the revolt against him, but he has already served the maximum pre-trial detention in that case.

The court ruling removed the last legal ground for his imprisonment in connection with a corruption case, following a similar decision in another corruption case on Monday.

Mubarak will not be allowed to leave Egypt and his assets remain frozen.

Mubarak’s two sons, Gamal and Alaa, along with former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly, are still in prison, and Adly’s lawyer said the ruling on Mubarak had no bearing on their cases.

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