Egyptian Former President Hosni Mubarak. Photo: AFP

Mubarak is accused of taking a huge amount of money as a gift from Al-Ahram, a state-run newspaper. Mubarak was acquitted on Monday of charges of embezzling money from a fund earmarked for the upkeep of presidential palaces. According to a judicial office source, prosecutors may not appeal the court’s decision, which means Mubarak can leave prison to await his trial on corruption and murder charges brought during the political crisis of 2011. According to analysts, the decision to release Mubarak and the government’s heavy crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood could trigger massive violence in Egypt. On August 14, the Egyptian army used force to disperse two sit-ins by ousted President Morsi’s supporters, killing nearly 1000 people.