Mubarak's Health a Concern as Trial Looms

Hosni Mubarak, who is slated to stand trial on Aug. 3rd, is reportedly frail and in poor health.

"[Mubarak] is completely refusing to eat food but consumes some liquids and juice only. He lost a lot of weight and suffers weakness and severe infirmity," the MENA news agency quoted the head of the hospital treating Mubarak as saying.

However, the Egyptian people are skeptical of Mubarak's many health concerns, suspecting that the ex-President is trying to avoid trial. Over the past month, there have been reports that Mubarak has cancer, was in a coma, suffered a stroke or was even dead. He has been in a hospital since April.

People have been protesting anew in Cairo's Tahrir Square recently, angry that the trials of Mubarak and other former-Egyptian leaders have not proceeded faster.

Mubarak is charged with ordering the shooting of protestors during the Tahrir demonstartions in February.

During that uprising, 18 people were killed by state troops.

A Cairo court told Reuters that the trial would be moved to the Sharm el-Sheikh Hospital (where Mubarak resides) if the ex-president is too weak to be moved.

Egyptian authorities have also moved the hearing date for former interior minister Habib el-Adli, who is now scheduled to start trial next week, on the same day as Mubarak.

If convicted, both Mubarak and el-Adli could be given the death penelty.

El-Adli and six of this aides have already been tried and found guilty of corruption. The former head of Egypt's police force was handed a 12-year prison sentence, but has yet to be tried for the events in Tahrir square.

A military council is currently running Egypt. Parliamentary elections were originally scheduled for September, but have been delayed at least two months.