Habib El-Adly to Be a Free Man Within Days

So Habib El-Adly, generally notorious for being a glorified butcher, is apparently set to be released within a few days. The Mubarak-era Interior Minister was just acquitted by a Cairo criminal court today, which his lawyer, Essam El Batawy says means he is well on his way to being a free man. "[El-Adly] will be at home in three, four days' time," El-Batawy said to Ahram Online.

After the 2011 revolution, El-Adly was charged with a number of different felonies, including causing death of protestors during the uprising and for this he was initially sentenced to life in prison but that went out the window last November when the court cleared him of those charges as well as the myriad other charges brought against him, including a number of corruption cases.

Now he’s being cleared on the charges of using his political influence to acquire personal gains with a worth of over 181 million EGP and this verdict marks the final trial the former Interior Minister is facing.

El-Adly’s lawyer says his client has already completed his sentences, including three years of jail time on a separate corruption case related to using security forces for personal reasons, as well another one-month sentence. His lawyer maintains El-Adly will be home within days. The same court which just cleared him also ordered the lifting of a freeze in his funds.