Egypt seeks Mubarak assets freeze

21 February 2011 Last updated at 15:31 GMT Hosni Mubarak and his family are thought to have amassed a fortune during his years in power Egypt's top prosecutor has requested the freezing of the foreign assets of Hosni Mubarak, 10 days after the president stood down amid mass rallies.

Prosecutor General Abdel Magid Mahmud asked the Egyptian foreign minister to contact other nations on the issue.

He said the freeze would apply to Mr Mubarak, his wife, his two sons and two daughters-in-law.

Mr Mubarak is widely thought to have amassed a fortune during his nearly 30-year stay in power.

Many protesters and anti-corruption campaigners have been pressing prosecutors to open an investigation into the Mubarak family's assets, put at anywhere from $1bn to $70bn (£616m - £43bn).

However, Mr Mubarak's legal representative on Monday denied reports that the former president had grown wealthy while staying in office.

The representative said that "Hosni Mubarak has submitted his final financial statement to the concerned judicial bodies according to the law," according to Egypt's Mena news agency.

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Cairo tense after Mubarak speech

11 February 2011 Last updated at 09:45 GMT The BBC's Jon Leyne: "The military has to make a big decision"

Tension is mounting in the Egyptian capital Cairo ahead of fresh protests in response to President Mubarak's announcement he will not step down.

Crowds are gathering outside the presidential palace, Tahrir Square and the offices of state TV in the city.

Meanwhile, the military's supreme council has said it will make an "important statement to the people".

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says the mass protests could bring protesters into direct conflict with the army.

This is the most dangerous moment so far in more than two weeks of protests, he adds.

In a televised speech on Thursday evening, Mr Mubarak said he planned to stay in office until September's polls, but pledged to hand over some powers.

He had been widely expected to stand aside. Instead, his announcement has left uncertainty and confusion, analysts say.

Mass protest marches are expected to get under way following Friday prayers at midday (1000 GMT).

On Friday morning, there was a stand-off outside the offices of state TV, with troops sealing off the building and keeping back a large crowd.

Continue reading the main story Jon Leyne BBC News, Cairo

Demonstrations are planned today in multiple locations.

The headquarters of state TV and the presidential palace itself could become the targets.

That would put the protesters in direct confrontation with the military. The role of the generals will be crucial but there must also be questions about whether junior officers will obey if they are ordered to disperse the protests.

It is the most dangerous moment so far in this crisis, one that will determine the future of Egypt and quite possibly the whole Middle East.

In his speech, Mr Mubarak said he would pass some of his powers to his vice-president, intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, but details of this remain unclear.

The Egyptian embassy in Washington said the changes meant Mr Suleiman was now the de facto president.

But the crowds in Tahrir Square reacted with fury, yelling "be gone" and waving their shoes in acts of defiance.

US reaction

After the speech, US President Barack Obama convened a meeting with his national security team at the White House.

Then, in a strongly worded statement, Mr Obama urged restraint from all sides, and said it was "imperative that the government not respond to the aspirations of their people with repression or brutality".

Egyptian opposition leader Mohammed ElBaradei called Mr Mubarak's speech an "act of deception".

"There is no way the Egyptian people right now are ready to accept either Mubarak or his vice-president," Mr ElBaradei told CNN.

"And my fear right now is this will start violence."

Cairo resident Sherine Barakat told the BBC that she did not think there would be violence between the protesters and the army.

"Yesterday in the square soldiers were saying: 'If you march to the palace, no officer will stand in your way'. I think the army will help the people," she said.

Expectations that Mr Mubarak might leave began to circulate on Thursday afternoon when a statement by army chiefs said it would remain "in continuous session" to discuss how to safeguard "the aspirations of the great Egyptian people".

Hossam Badrawi, the new secretary general of the ruling NDP, then told the BBC he would be surprised if Mr Mubarak was still president on Friday.

The anti-government protests that began on 25 January were triggered by widespread unrest in Egypt over unemployment, poverty and corruption.

They followed a popular uprising in Tunisia which brought about the downfall of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

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Egypt's Mubarak refuses to quit

10 February 2011 Last updated at 21:41 GMT Mubarak addressed his remarks to the "youth of Egypt in Tahrir Square" Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has said he will stay in office and transfer all power only after September's presidential election.

His comments in a national TV address confounded earlier reports that he was preparing to stand down immediately.

Mr Mubarak said he would delegate some powers to Vice-President Omar Suleiman, but would ignore "diktats from abroad".

Thousands of anti-government protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square reacted angrily to his announcement.

Mr Mubarak had already pledged not to stand in September's poll.

"I express a commitment to carry on and protect the constitution and the people and transfer power to whomever is elected next September in free and transparent elections," Mr Mubarak said.

Directly addressing protesters "in Tahrir Square and beyond" in what he said was "a speech from the heart", Mr Mubarak, 82, said: "I am not embarrassed to listen to the youth of my country and to respond to them."

Continue reading the main story Paul Adams BBC News, Tahrir Square, Cairo

The mood in Tahrir Square has changed dramatically in the wake of President Mubarak's televised address.

There is an angry deafening roar rising from the crowd with numerous chants calling for an end to the regime and "revolution 'til we die".

It seems fairly clear from the reaction of the crowd that they are not satisfied with the concessions announced by President Mubarak.

The mood contrasts dramatically with the celebratory, almost party atmosphere that existed in the hours running up to his statement on television.

He apologised to the families of protesters killed in clashes with the security forces in recent weeks, and said those responsible for their deaths would be punished.

He added that the country's emergency laws would only be lifted when conditions were right.

He also appeared to call for the end of protests against his 30-year rule that began on 25 January.

"Egypt has gone through difficult times and we cannot allow it to carry on," he said.

"The damage to our economy will lead to a situation that the youth calling for reform will be the first to be affected."

Mr Suleiman, speaking after Mr Mubarak's address, said the protests had had an effect, and a process of constitutional change would now go ahead.

Egypt's military had earlier said it was standing ready to "protect the nation". State news agency Mena reported that the high council of the armed forces was in continuous session "to protect the nation, its gains and the aspirations of the people".

Negotiations between the government and opposition groups have made little progress, with protesters disillusioned at plans for reform put forward by Mr Mubarak's government.

The US government had in recent days stepped up its call for the protesters' concerns to be addressed.

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