Mubarak’s health deteriorating in Egyptian jail

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's health has quickly deteriorated after a court sentenced him to life imprisonment in connection to the killing of protesters.

A security official at Cairo's Torah prison told the Associated Press that Mubarak collapsed several times and that he was placed on mechanical ventilation after having difficulty breathing on Tuesday.  

The unnamed official also said that prison authorities turned down a request by Mubarak to bring two of his personal doctors to oversee his condition. However they did agree to transfer his son Gamal, also a prisoner, to a nearby cell to be close to him.

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"Doctors from the police hospital have been called to treat him, along with the prison doctors after he suffered an emotional breakdown" a security official told the AFP.

Yasser Bahr, Mubarak's lawyer, confirmed to AFP that the former leader "had an emotional crisis that affected his general health."

Until Saturday's ruling, Mubarak had reportedly been held at a military hospital on the outskirts of Cairo. It was there that Mubarak occupied a large hospital suite and was free to see relatives, walk in the garden and exercise, news reports and a hospital source said this week.

During the trial the Associated Press said Mubarak sat "stoney-faced" in the courtroom cage. He wore dark sunglasses that concealed his eyes.

After the sentencing, State television reported Mubarak suffered a health crisis on the helicopter flight to a Cairo prison hospital. The officials said Mubarak cried and resisted leaving the helicopter. One state media report said it was a heart attack, but that could not be confirmed by the Associated Press.

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