The retrial of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, his sons and closest associates reopened on Saturday.

Mubarak’s lawyer claims his period of house arrest should have ended with the lifting of the state of emergency in Egypt last week, so he could be free within days. Egypt’s interim authorities dispute this.

Political expert Khaled Hussein explained:

“I think that the trial is moving towards the acquittal of Mubarak or at least allowing him to leave his house arrest, but the Egyptian people should know how long this trial will last, and know that the end of the trial will be an end of an era of injustice, corruption and nepotism,” he said.

The 85-year-old ex-president was sentenced to life in prison last year over complicity of inciting violence and murdering demonstrators during the uprising against him in 2011, but an appeal court ordered a retrial earlier this year and he’s been under house arrest since August.

Euronews correspondent Mohammed Shaikhibrahim summarised:

“A new chapter for Mubarak’s trial and his biggest associates has started. What sets it apart is the possible end of the former president’s house arrest with the lifting of the state of emergency.”